


DREAMS INC.   + English Version +

by Mckie



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, Slow Burn, Tags Are Hard, based on Trees dies standing, figure it out - Freeform, fluff and feelings, like literally slow so be patient, lots of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-01-04 03:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 58,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12161019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mckie/pseuds/Mckie
Summary: "Do they attain happiness in the end? These dreamers?""For some, it lasts a lifetime; for others, it’s only temporary. The important thing is that for a brief time at least, your fondest dreams come true. If you didn't know of our existence, which is all illusion anyway, wouldn't you want to enjoy your fantasy, even if it was only for a few hours?"Or where a lost soul is found by an exceptional group of enthusiasts that invite her to work with them.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Dreams Inc.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7946791) by [Mckie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mckie/pseuds/Mckie). 



> Hi, everyone :) So... I know I told Niall and I were going to rest for a while, but he's amazing and worked for this to be ready soon when I told him I wanted to post it this friday as my way to celebrate my Birthday today :); so, here we go again...
> 
> A few years ago, I saw the play that I based this story on, and it became a favorite of mine. Recently, I saw it as a feature film and found myself wondering what it would be like to have Hollstein in a similar scenario 
> 
> This story is loosely based on the play 'Trees Die Standing' by Spanish playwright Alejandro Casona, but with some changes to adapt it as a Carmilla AU. It will be a slow burn (sort of), but I promise it will be worth it as Hollstein is always worth it ;)
> 
> It is an honor and privilege to write for all you Creampuffs. 
> 
>  
> 
> xoxo
> 
> Mckie
> 
>  
> 
> Xoxo  
> Mckie

 

 

 

 

The mornings always begin the same way for Melanippe Callis. She takes her dog Summer for a walk in the park and then she goes to the Corvae Café for the day’s first cup of coffee. That’s been her daily routine for years now, and sometimes the sameness of it overwhelms her. But she’s been stuck in this rut for a while, too terrified to change it. 

Theo the barista serves Melanippe every morning at the café. He’s worked at the Corvae Café for a few years and was captivated by her from the day they met. The young man often watched the shy woman walking the park with Summer. The two minutes of each day where they exchange small talk are the highlight of his day, but he has never dared to go any further. As she thanks him politely before leaving the café each morning, he feels that Mel would not be interested in someone like him. 

 

But this morning something changed. 

Theo noticed Mel walking her huge St. Bernard around the park as per usual when two people suddenly approached her. One of them, a tall blonde woman seemed to ask Mel something while the other, an equally tall man with a mustache began patting Summer on the head. 

 

To Theo’s surprise and shock, the woman pushed Mel to the ground while the man grabbed Summer and ran away as fast as he could.

Without hesitation, Theo leaped over the counter, out of the café and chased after the kidnappers. The tall man seemed to be struggling slightly with the St. Bernard but still managed to keep a tight grip on her. The blonde was racing away with long strides, seemingly impossible to catch. But that didn’t bother Theo as he easily kept pace with them. It was about time all that athletics training in college came in useful for something, he thought. 

 

The couple continued running until Summer managed to wriggle loose and bite the arms of the man holding her. He shouted in pain but didn’t drop her. Theo’s lungs felt like they were burning and his old injury began to protest. He had no idea how many blocks he had sprinted, but he knew he was going to suffer for this later. Three years ago, Theo had given up on his dream of competing in the Olympics after fracturing his right knee. After that, he devoted himself to his studies and never ran again.

After that, Theo felt worthless and that his life was a mere existence. Athletics had been his life and when Fate took that away from him, he was convinced that he didn’t deserve any good in life, no matter what opportunities came his way. Especially not love, much less with someone like Mel Callis. 

The kidnappers were getting away, and he felt his vision cloud over. He realized he was crying from frustration; they were going to get away! The tears rolled down his cheeks, but his old injury didn’t care. It wasn’t going to take pity on him. 

 

On the verge of giving up, something caught his eye. A  distracted looking, bearded man left his bike leaning against a park bench and walked toward the bookstore just outside the park. Instantly, Theo spotted his opportunity. He knew he’d probably regret it later, though.

He grabbed the bike and began peddling as fast as he could, rapidly closing the distance between himself and the kidnappers. As soon as they came to a dead end outside the park, he didn’t think twice and leaped from the bike onto the tall man’s back. He stumbled and released Summer to try and catch his balance, but collided with his accomplice, causing both to sprawl to the ground.

 

That was the moment when a patrol car arrived. Typical, thought Theo; they’re never around when you need them, but when everything’s over, then they appear. He leaned against the wall to catch his breath, and that was the moment he realized that his leg was killing him. 

"Stop! You’re under arrest! 

Theo turned to see a small blonde-haired policewoman accompanied by a second one with red curly hair who was  restraining the taller man. 

"Sir, are you okay?" the blonde asked.

Theo smiles at the irony of the question. It was hard to see her face with those large sunglasses hiding most it. He was too exhausted to do anything other than nod.

They still called an ambulance for him though, and a paramedic with short red hair checked him over.  In the meantime, the police had put the two kidnappers in handcuffs and placed them in the rear of the patrol car . Theo found it amusing how the smaller one struggled to get the tall woman into the car while the curly red-haired one was just as bad, seeming more concerned with the injured arm of the other one. 

A loud bark caught Leo’s attention. He turned to see Summer running towards Mel who dropped to her knees to hug the dog as soon as she reached her. He couldn’t help but smile at the scene. When she looked up and saw him, she ran to the ambulance with Summer following her closely. Mel practically threw herself onto Theo, accidentally hitting his sore knee. But with her hugging him so tightly and her warm breath on his neck, he barely felt the pain. 

Mel seemed to sense his discomfort though and withdrew after a few seconds to his disappointment. 

"Sorry!" 

"No, honestly it’s fine. But is Summer okay?" 

"She’s fine. All thanks to you." 

Theo felt a little embarrassed at her gratitude, but luckily the blonde police officer came over and  drew Mel’s attention away from his blushing face . She asked the paramedic could they look after the kidnapper that Summer had bitten before she turned to Theo.

"Sir, we are incredibly grateful for your courageous act. We have been trying to track down these two for months. Lawrence and Wilson have been kidnapping dogs for months and releasing them only after payment of a hefty ransom. You are a very courageous man." 

Theo felt even more embarrassed at the attention the police were giving him. 

"It was nothing," he replied, timidly.

"We won’t be needing a statement from you because we already have enough evidence to press charges and keep them in jail for a long time, but we want to acknowledge your heroic act.”

 

Nonplussed, Theo shook the policewoman’s hand and watched them return to the patrol car, leaving him and Mel in an awkward silence. A silence broken by 'Wilson'  screaming in pain. If Theo didn’t know better, the paramedic seemed to be paying more attention to the policewoman with the curly red hair and had poured a whole bottle of disinfectant on the wound.

But Theo and Mel laughed, and it lightened the atmosphere a little. 

"You’re a real hero, Theo!" 

"I… I just did what any person…." 

"No, I won’t hear of it. You risked your life to save my puppy." 

"I would do anything for you, Mel." 

"What things you say, Theo!" 

"I’ve liked you, Mel, from the first time I met you. You might think that it is foolish, but I can’t deny it any longer." 

"Theo… I…. I like you too." 

"Would you like to have a coffee with me?" 

"I’d love to,” replied Mel, smiling shyly.

The couple made their way slowly back towards the Corvae Café with Summer trotting happily after them. 

The blonde policewoman couldn’t contain her own smile when she watched them leave. That was what she enjoyed most about her work; the happiness they brought to the lives of the ‘dreamers.’ It was payment for all the sleepless hours, the many handwritten investigative notes and all the sugary, hot chocolate she consumed daily. Not that the last one was a chore for her, but even so she’d do it all over again just to see one of those smiles.

"Boom! Another successful mission, team!”

"Bookworm, where were you? You were supposed to be there to absolve Theo of blame for robbing your bike. You nearly ruined it,” grumbled the paramedic.

"Uhm. I got distracted a bit with the books," replied the bearded man sheepishly.

" Cupcake , I told you all that it was a bad idea to send him to the bookstore. Dean, why couldn't we have picked another store?" 

"I don't think that this is the time to worry about the details,  LAF . All that matters is that our mission worked out exactly as planned," replied Dean patting  the paramedic on the shoulder as they tended to the  injured man’s arm.

"Ouch! Be careful with my arm, Dude. Not everything was perfect! This should not have happened." 

"You are such a child, Zeta, " replied the tall woman.

"Easy for you to say, T.A. You didn’t have to pick up a huge St. Bernard and run with it while trying not to hurt him. And he didn’t bite you." 

"Stop it you two!”  replied Cupcake, impatiently. I’m sorry Summer bit you  Zeta , but  Deans’ right and everything worked out fine. Look at them. Something tells me this is only the first step in a lifelong romance."

 

"Could you be any cheesier, Cupcake?"  replied LAF with a grin , as they finished bandaging  Zeta’s  arm.

"I think we better clear out of here immediately. We don’t want the real police to show up and throw us in jail,” said Dean, removing her fake cap while the bearded man tore off the fake ‘police’ labels from the car and removed the siren from the roof.

Cupcake did the same with her uniform and sunglasses, loosened her blonde hair and put on jeans and a t-shirt.  Inside the car, Zeta  removed his fake mustache and fixed his hair in the mirror.   T.A. removed her blonde wig to reveal long red hair and tried to clean the make-up from her face while fighting for the mirror with Zeta. 

 

LAF  was the first to leave the area, while the now, perfectly ordinary, non-descript car with four  law-abiding citizens drove off in a different direction. After scanning the area one last time to make sure no one had seen anything out of the ordinary, Bookworm was the last to leave. 

 

Mission accomplished. For today.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. K

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I know, Spencer. I don't need your charity." 
> 
> "Then you obviously have a very short memory, K."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh... so this is chapter 2 and well... read. 
> 
>  
> 
> TW: Brief incident of homophobia.
> 
>  
> 
> Italics = flashbacks just so you know. 
> 
>  
> 
> xoxo
> 
>  
> 
> Mckie.

 

 

 

 

"That’s it, you're fired! I can't believe you spilled hot coffee onto a customer’s crotch.

"The asshole deserved it. I told him a thousand times that I wasn't interested and what does he do? He tried to be funny in front of his friends and slaps me on the ass when I’m serving the customer at the table beside them." 

"I'm sick of your excuses! You already scare the regular customers, and I don't need people taking their business elsewhere because of your clumsiness too. I don't want to see you here again!" 

"Whatever. It’s not the first job I’ve been fired from." 

"And if you continue with that attitude, it won’t be the last! You better quit that shit before you end up living on the street." 

'That wouldn’t be the first time for that either,' thought the black-haired woman while removing the apron, tossing it at her ex-boss and snatching an envelope holding her last cheque (less the cost of the angry customer's meal). After a brief detour to grab her backpack, she stomped out of the Anglerfish café. 

That was her fourth job in the last two months, nearly all of them at small cafes like the Anglerfish, and they all ended the same way. There was always some customer who tried to take advantage of the wait-staff. Some people seemed to think that they were entitled to be obnoxious to them just because they had enough money to order a slice of cake and a cup of coffee. 

The only work she had outside of a café outside of a café was at a family-oriented restaurant, something she didn’t take account of when applying for the job. After only three days, she lost her patience when some spoiled child deliberately squeezed a bottle of ketchup all over her. The restaurant owner and parents did not appreciate her response of pouring half a mustard bottle all over the child’s head, and the rest of it over them when they tried to intervene.

Without nothing to do for the remainder of the day, the woman walked to the nearest park, sat down on an empty bench and took out a newspaper from her backpack. It was nearly a week old, but she still scanned through it frantically looking for a new job. If she didn’t find another one quickly, she wouldn’t have enough for rent at the filthy hostel she was currently living in. 

She tried to focus on the paper, but a little girl caught her attention. She had hair as dark as her own and was playing with a jet-black kitten. It brought back unpleasant memories for the young woman.

 

_ "I'm going to call him Bagheera."  _

_ "We’re not keeping some filthy animal in this house."  _

_ "But Mother…"  _

_ "No buts! Now leave that dirty cat alone and help me fold these clothes for delivery.” _

She shook her head to banish those memories and fixed her gaze on the girl merrily running while the kitten chased her. She stopped at a bench where a woman was sitting, apparently her mother judging by the resemblance. She picked up the girl and swung her around, before peppering her face with kisses. 

The memories refused to leave her alone. It had been a long time since she thought of her mother, and in none of them was she expressing any love towards her daughter.

_ "Explain yourself. Now!"  _

_ "Mother, it's not what you think."  _

_ "I find you in bed with Ell, both of you fornicating like animals. What part of this I am misinterpreting?"  _

_ "I love you, Mother. Please don’t do this to me."  _

_   
_ _ "No! You’re incapable of love, and no one could possibly love you. You’re just like your father. He ruined my life and everything he touched. But you’re even worse! You’re a disgrace and a monster. Get out of my house!"  _

_ "Mother…"  _

_ "Don't you dare call me that. My daughter has died. I should have buried her alive at birth rather than let her turn out this way. You’re sick. Get out!” _

She was unaware of the tears that rolled down her cheeks. That’s why she always avoided thinking about what happened. 

She had known Ell since they were children starting school together and shared a lot of the same classes. Or at least they did until her mother decided that attending school was a privilege that her daughter didn’t need. Fortunately, Ell continued to visit her, and it was a simple and honest friendship until she began to feel attracted to her best friend. When she nervously confessed her feelings, to her joy Ell said she felt the same way. 

 

When they were caught, Ell had tried to stand up to her mother but had backed down when she threatened to tell her parents that she had found the two of them in bed together. She had never seen or heard from Ell again after that.

That same day, she had taken what she could; some clothing, her father’s copy of ‘The Jungle Book' that he used to read to her every night before bed, and the pieces of her broken heart. 

She wiped the tears from her face and made her way back to the small room she lived in at the hostel. She was going to be busy looking for work tomorrow. She just didn’t have the energy to deal being unemployed again, along with the burden of unwelcome memories. At this stage, her whole life fitted in the old, worn backpack that she carried everywhere.

 

Spencer was waiting for her, swaying slightly at the entrance.

"Isn’t it a bit early for you to be back, K?" 

"Isn’t a bit early for you to have finished a full bottle of whiskey, Spencer?" 

"I’m sure it’s five o clock somewhere in the world at the moment." 

"Yeah, the same part of the world where my work shift is over." 

"Fired again? I only hope that you have enough for this week; I don’t want to have to throw you out on the street.” 

"Oh, no! Whatever will I do without the moldy mattress in the corner of my smelly room?" 

"Complain all you want. That smelly room at least has a roof that keeps the rain out." 

"The leaks say otherwise. Every time it rains there is more water in the room than outside." 

"Oh! I'm sorry, Your Ladyship. I had forgotten that the countess required a presidential suite. This is not the Hyatt! What you can afford gets you a corner to sleep in." 

The woman knew that Spencer was right. Her situation was so desperate that she was grateful to have that small corner to return to, even if it wasn’t home. That word had lost all meaning for her, but she was confident that it was more than four crumbling walls, a patched mattress, three pieces of clothing and a book inside her backpack. 

"Whatever. I still don't have your money this week. But I'll get it, Spencer. Just give me a few days to find a new job.”

"I can't do this any longer, K. You always have the same excuse, and I’m fed up with it at this stage." 

"Spencer, I will. I swear that I'll have another job soon." 

"You have two days. If I don’t have it by then, I’ll have to kick you out. It's nothing personal. I have to eat too, and I don’t earn much from this place. I can't go through life renting to anyone who can’t pay." 

"I know, Spencer. I don't need your charity." 

"Then you obviously have a very short memory, K." 

_ Spencer hated the weather forecast on the morning news. They never seemed to get it right. For example, this morning they had predicted a sunny afternoon and recommended a visit to the beach or even a walk through the city.  _

_ “Tell that to my soaked pants,” grumbled Spencer. After a few blocks under the storm, he ducked into an alley to find shelter under a fire escape. _

__

_ But he wasn’t alone. He noticed a small, slight figure standing in the same alley. At first, he thought it was a stray cat, but when he looked closer, he saw it was too large for a cat or any other animal that you’d normally find in the city. Eventually, he realized it was a person; a small, painfully thin woman, holding a torn trash bag over her head to keep the rain off her. _

_ It wasn’t unusual to find addicts and vagrants in this part of the city, and Spencer knew that he ran the risk of getting mugged if he was lucky or dead if he wasn’t. But something about the woman called out to him and made him pity her.  _

_ "Hey! Are you okay there?"  _

_ "Fuck off, junkie! I’m not selling."  _

_ "Oh! I didn't want to buy anything."  _

_ "Well, I don’t either. I'm not a drug addict, so piss off!"  _

_ Spencer can't help but laugh at the girl’s confusion. As she stepped into the light, he noticed her features for the first time. He had no idea what her story was, but if Life had given her a break, she would have had men and women falling at her feet. Even though her face was gaunt and she had dark circles under her eyes, she was still a beautiful _ _ woman. _

 

_ On the other hand, he was also relieved to hear that she wasn’t going to rob him of the few coins he had in his pocket to get her next fix. _

_ "Well, I'm not a dealer either. I was heading home and stopped here to shelter from the rain when I saw you. Do you have anywhere to sleep tonight?"  _

_ The woman looked at Spencer in confusion and anger. Her jaw tightened before she responded.  _

_ "But of course I do, my knight in shining armor. I'm just out here in this dark alley to experience the joy of getting drenched to the skin while wearing my last pair of boots. I have a warm bed in a cottage with a roaring fire to warm me up, but why would I want to miss this opportunity?"  _

_ Spencer felt foolish for asking, and although she looked ready to gut him, he still couldn’t help feeling some empathy for her.. _

_ "Just grab your things. I have a place where you can spend the night."  _

_ "Look, mister, I may have no home or money; but I’m not that desperate. I’ll rather die in this rain than fuck you for shelter.” _

_ Spencer laughed. No matter how fragile she seemed, she had enough spirit to fight back against what the world had thrown at her. But even so, he couldn’t help rolling his eyes at her stubbornness.  _

_ He wondered how long she’d been on the streets or how many times she had to endure someone propositioning her for sex. Obviously long enough and often enough for her to be so defensive against anyone who dared approach her. _

_ "Firstly, I’m not interested in sleeping with you. I’m not some pervert who roams the streets looking for girls to fuck. Secondly, I’m old enough to be your father."  _

_ She seemed to relax a little at the mention of the word 'father.' Spencer reasoned that was a good reason for this and didn’t want to scare her away by asking. But the rain was easing off at this point, and she was obviously considering his proposal, so he took out his wallet and pulled out a slightly wrinkled business card. _

 

_ "My name is Spencer, this is my card. I run a small hostel called 'Silas,' a few blocks from here. People generally avoid staying in this area, and there’s always a couple of empty rooms. You can sleep in one of them for the night. There are no plush beds, and the heating barely works, but it’s a damn sight warmer than this alley."  _

_ The black-haired girl looked at the card, shrugged and after a few seconds, grabbed a backpack from under a garbage can lid where she had been trying to keep it dry. Spencer noticed how weak and fragile she appeared. She had to be at least eighteen years of age, but she was barely five feet tall, very malnourished and her clothes had seen better days, possibly a decade ago. _

_ "Just so you know, ‘Spencer.’ I have a knife, and if you try anything, I will not hesitate to use it."  _

_ "Take it easy there, killer. Nothing is going to happen. But seeing as you already know my name, it’s only fair that I know who I’m letting into my hostel with a knife," replied Spencer _ ,  _ trying to lighten the conversation.  _

_ "K… My name is K."  _

_ Both walked to the hostel in silence. When they arrived, Spencer gave her an empty room and made her a steaming mug of hot chocolate. She blinked back the tears at this gesture. It looked like she hadn’t experienced the simplest act of kindness in years, if at all. _

_ "Good night, Spencer."  _

_ "Good night, K."  _

K shrugged her shoulders in defeat. She knew he was right. Spencer had been the only human being in ages that had ever shown her any kindness or decency. 

"I could never forget that, Spencer. Tomorrow is a new day, and I promise I will have the money I owe you." 

The woman took her key from the backpack and entered her small room. She threw the bag to the floor and took off her old boots to lie on the mattress, the only bit of furniture in the place. 

Tomorrow, she thought. 

 

Every night before she fell asleep, she would lie there, thinking about the tomorrow that would finally change her life for the better. 

 

Maybe tomorrow would be that day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erm... I know, I know, you're still wondering what the hell is going on here and how is this supposed to be a Hollstein story... Good things come to those who wait.
> 
> Just saying.
> 
> Also, as some of you know I'm from Mexico and we had a pretty bad earthquake last week after the one hit the south on September 7th, the worst seems to have happened but there are still a lot of people who lost their homes. If you can donate a few bucks, it would be amazing, choose the charity or way to send them you wish, give 5 dlls it doesn't matter, that could mean a family meal today here. If you can't donate just send your good vibes and blessings. It was heartbroken and I still feel a little uneasy. Bless for all and thank you. (I'm fine, my family is, but not others) 
> 
> See you next Friday ;)


	3. The Dream Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She’s the one, Cupcake."
> 
> “Sorry?” she replied. How long had she staring at the woman, she wondered?
> 
> "The one who will be the newest member of The Dream Squad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... listen very carefully here.
> 
> Niall sent me this chapter day ago but my super stupid self forgot about it till today so, there could be a some mistakes and typos and that's completely my fault, Niall is all innocent. Let me know if you found something wrong. 
> 
> So, exactly 20 days for the movie and I'm still screaming because I can't wait to see Hollstein again and now Dominique too <3!!!

 

 

 

Waking up to the smell of fresh baked cookies had always been her favorite way to start the day. She had no idea what a ‘normal’ home and family was like, but she felt that this house was the closest thing she had to one.

_ "My dear, I am sorry that it has come to this, but Mr. Vordenberg wants to see you."  _

_ The frightened girl dragged her feet to the forbidding office. No one she knew had ever seen him in person. Some had said that it was because he was hideously ugly, others claim that his face was disfigured and that he kept it hidden. Some have even said that he’s a vampire and that no one has ever seen him during daylight hours. _

_ When she entered the office, the first thing that captured the girl’s attention was a long table full of desserts and sweets of various kinds. But what really attracted her was a tray of cupcakes decorated with icing and glitter. She had never seen such a vast quantity of treats; it was like a dream come true.  _

_ She made her way cautiously to the cupcake tray and took one decorated with yellow icing. Ms. Jordan had been very clear; she was to enter the room, sit down, wait quietly for Mr. Vordenberg and not to touch anything. However, she never told her that she would be surrounded by cookies, cotton candy, various bottles of soda, chocolates and above all, cupcakes.  _

_ The girl sat on one of the chairs and placed the cupcake on the table in front of her. She was still wondering whether she should take a chance and gobble it down, or obey Ms. Jordan. She took the cupcake between her hands and pondered it with the seriousness that only a child could manage. What should she do? _

_ "So, I finally meet the troublemaker, the ringleader you could say, at last," said an elderly man with a cane who suddenly appeared by her side. _

_ She dropped the cupcake immediately, and the man released a small laugh at the gesture.  _

_ "Ms. Jordan has informed me that you’re the one who organized the protest in the cafeteria."  _

_ The girl looked at her lap, embarrassed and nodded slightly. _

_ "All because we were serving anchovies for dinner?"  _

_ She nodded again.  _

 

_ "Don't you like anchovies?"  _

_ Another nod. _

_ "So why the uprising in the dining room?"  _

_ "Mattie hates the smell and taste of anchovies. It reminds her of the factory where her parents worked and how they used to beat her when they came home after working shifts there."  _

_ Mr. Vordenberg could never bear the pain of listening to the children’s stories; it reminded him too much of the horrors of his own past. That was why he employed Ms. Jordan to supervise them and run the orphanage. _

_ "So, you organized a hunger strike, saying that nobody would eat at all until the anchovies were withdrawn from the menu?"  _

  
_ "Mattie is my friend. I couldn't see her suffer."  _

_ Mr. Vonderberg wears a bright smile,  _ _ that was the exact moment he knew the girl was the right person to lead the team he was forming. _

She ran downstairs to the kitchen as fast as her short legs allowed. 

"3…2…1… there she is! I knew that the smell of cookies would wake  her  instantly," said  LAF, as they smirked at the arrival of the blonde in their pajamas.

"Oh, shut up! We don't all have our alarms synchronized to wake up at the same time as Dean," she retorted. She smirked at Laf’s sudden blush. Busted.

Honestly, she thought, when was  LAF  ever going to confess their feelings to Dean? It was the worst-kept secret in the house; everyone knew they only had eyes for the curly redhead.

_ Several years later, Cupcake was receiving regular visits from Mr. Vordenberg. They worked together, in small ways at first, to improve the lot of the other children at the orphanage.  _

_ She had no reason to believe his latest visit would be any different. However, this time he arrived with a small red-haired child.  _

_ "LAF _ _ , allow me to introduce you to Cupcake. Cupcake,  _ _ LAF _ _ is the newest member of our team. I found them   _ _ hacking a  _ _ vending machine to get some sandwiches in one of my buildings."  _

 

_ The child looked at their worn-out shoes in embarrassment.  _

_ "I feel they’ll be a valuable addition to our team and I have no doubt that they will be a constant source of wonder,” he said, ruffling their hair. _

_ Cupcake nodded to her benefactor and took  _ _ LAF _ _ by the hand to explain everything about Mr. Vordenberg’s scheme. _

 

"Enough, everyone! Can’t we just have a normal breakfast before Mr. Vordenberg arrives for yesterday’s mission report?” replied Dean impatiently. “For once, just be normal!”

 

Avoiding the subject as usual.

 

 Cupcake was convinced that not only was Dean well aware of  LAF ’s feelings; but that they felt the same and were too nervous to admit it.

_ Two years later, when they were teenagers,  _ _ LAF _ _ introduced her to another redhead, trying to console her as she cried. Cupcake had no idea how they met but sensed it was best to leave them alone.  _ _ LAF _ _ managed to persuade Mr. Vordenberg that she’d be a valuable addition to the team. He was dubious at first but recognized her organizational skills and industry when she cataloged all his files and cleaned his office by herself after only a few hours. _

 

_ "It’s like you’re possessed or a different person when you’re cleaning and organizing," joked _ _ LAF _ _.  _

_ "That's it! It is as if you were the dean of our project. From now on, we’ll call you Dean," declared Cupcake, making the curly redhead smile for the first time. _

_ Nobody in the team has heard Dean’s story or knew why she came to the orphanage, except for  _ _ LAF _ _ and Mr. Vordenberg, He would never tell, and  _ _ LAF _ _  has always respected the privacy of their best friend and crush.  _

After breakfasting together, they all congregated in the meeting area of the old house. An antique rectangular wooden table was the central focus of the room. There were also six chairs at the sides and a huge armchair at the head of the table. On the walls, were various monitors and screens displaying information consisting of names, places, personal data, and photos. Thanks to Bookworm and  LAF , they were the latest in modern technology.

It was around noon when Cornelius Vordenberg, dressed in one of his best linen suits and hobbling with the aid of his mahogany cane, arrived to begin the meeting. 

"Well, well, well. First, I want to congratulate you, my dear team. I've spent this morning at the 'Corvae Cafe,' and I found a cute couple having breakfast together while the charming ‘Summer' enjoyed a refreshing bowl of water under their table. I wouldn’t be surprised if young Theo becomes her owner too.’

Several pictures appeared on the wall-mounted screens of a smiling Mel Callis caressing Theo’s arm and a happy Theo playing with Summer in Mel’s absence. Other photos showed Mel giving Theo a small kiss on the cheek and a hug when she left. When she was gone, he touched the spot on his cheek, smiling softly to himself. 

The room exploded in cheers and applause. Bookworm gave LAF a high five, while Dean patted Cupcake on the back. But the most surprising thing was the reaction of T.A. and Zeta. Both hugged and embraced each other in delight, oblivious to the stupefied looks of everyone else. 

 

_ "This is all your fault, Popped Collar! If you hadn’t strayed into my territory, I wouldn’t have been caught."  _

_ "Are you insane?!" This isn’t your ‘territory.’ The Zetas have been working this area of the city for years! _

 

_ "You Zetas are all the same! Idiots that think they’re master thieves, but always end up getting caught.”  _

 

_ "Dude, your so-called ‘Society’ is no better than us. We could kick your asses anytime we wanted. You're lucky you’re a woman and that I’m such a gentleman.” _

_ "Lucky to be a ‘woman?' By the time I’m finished with you, you won’t be able to call yourself a man anymore, you sexist pig!!"  _

_ "Enough!" cried Cupcake, separating the two giant rivals. _

 

_ "You, apologize for that misogynist comment before I kick your ass  _ _ myself _ _! And you, no one here is going to maim anyone! Unless it’s by me."  _

_Cupcake tried to calm herself while the other two redheads in the_ _room looked amused at the scene. The silence was broken by a hearty laugh from Vordenberg._

_ "Well, now that Cupcake has sorted out everything, these are our new team members. Just remember that you’re to be on your best behavior always or it’s back to jail for both of you. Now we just need names for you."  _

_ “Oh, oh, oh!"  _

_ "Yes, my excitable young friend?"  _

_ "Let’s call her T.A.!” _

_ "T.A.?"  _

_ "Dude, that’s what it says on her jacket."  _

_ There was a small logo on the ill-fitting varsity jacket that the tall young redhead was wearing.  _

 

_ An apparently stolen jacket.  _

_ "Very well, T.A. it shall be. But it is only fair that she gets to pick your name in return," replied Vordenberg with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. _

_ "Once a Zeta, always a Zeta," she replied, shrugging her shoulders and smiling slightly at the young man.  _

_ "Wooo-Hooo, I am Zeta! Thanks, T.A." _

_ T.A. facepalmed at his eagerness while the others laughed at their antics.  _

When the shock wore off, Cupcake couldn't help but smile at the couple. They were always bickering and fighting amongst themselves, but it was evident that they were devoted to each other, no matter how much they tried to deny it to everyone else. Cupcake felt it would be nice to have someone like that, but as team leader, it was almost impossible to find the time. Perhaps her destiny lay in making others happy; it gave so much joy and meaning to her own life. She firmly dismissed every thought about her non-existent love life. 

"Before you pick a new mission, I have a small request, Cupcake. Let us take a drive together. " 

"Now, Mr. Vordenberg?" 

Cupcake was no longer surprised by Vordenberg’s foibles. As long as she'd known him, the eccentric millionaire had often made some unusual requests. Nevertheless, it was usually easier to humor her benefactor after all he had done for them. 

 

"Of course, my dear! It's such a nice sunny day and the perfect time to enjoy the beauty of our enchanting city. Bookworm?" 

"Your car is waiting outside, Mr. Vordenberg." 

"Thank you, Bookworm. I'll meet you downstairs, Cupcake." 

"How are you always so calm when he does that?" asked Cupcake when Vordenberg left the room.

"Because I trust him." 

_ "I don't understand anything in this stupid book, Cupcake. Why don't we forget this and think of something else?"  _

_ "Ugh! Come on, LAF! We can't give up now. Mr. Vordenberg is depending on us. We need to know what this text says to make progress in the investigation,” she replied, trying to decipher the rare book. _

_ "Cupcake, the library computer obviously doesn't understand these stupid ...hieroglyphics!"  _

_ "That's because they're not hieroglyphics," replied a quiet voice from the hall adjacent to the library. _

_ Once their initial surprise wore off, they took a cautious peek into the room where they had heard the voice. Sitting in the darkness at one of the tables was a pale, bearded young man. The title of the book he was reading was enough on its own to give them a headache. _

_ "Hi! I’m LAF, and this is Cupcake. You claim these squiggles are not hieroglyphics. Can you tell us what language this is then?"  _

_ The young man nodded slowly, biting his lower lip.  _

_ "It’s Sumerian. A dead language."  _

_ "Could you possibly translate this for us?" asked Cupcake with a slight smile, kneeling beside him. _

_ "That won't be necessary. I know all the books in this library and the contents of each one."  _

_ Cupcake was astounded. "But there are thousands of books in this wing alone! And thousands more in the whole library! How can you possibly know every one of them?"  _

_ The young man just shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing extraordinary about it.  _

_ "You have to tell me your secret! Would you perhaps let me run a few tests?" said LAF eagerly. _

_ "The only secret is that I have lived in this library all my life. My father worked here until he died and the new administration knows nothing about the secret passageways and the hidden treasures of this place."  _

_ "Mr. Lord Vordenberg would love you,” replied LAF  _ _ in awe. _

_ "Do you know Mr. Vordenberg?" the young man asked.  _

_ Both nodded and looked at him in confusion.  _

_ "He’s the one that has helped me to stay here without being discovered all this time. Until now, at least," he sighed.  _

_ "LAF, I understand now,” said Cupcake excitedly. “This is what Mr. Vordenberg really wanted us to find. We have our Bookworm!” _

Thirty minutes later, Cupcake and Vordenberg had arrived at their destination. The confused girl was sure the area they were in was not the most beautiful part of the city, not by any stretch of the imagination. On the contrary, it was a run-down, poverty-stricken area, a place that nobody with the resources of her benefactor would normally be seen in. But his eyes were sparkling as he looked around while leaning on his cane.

"Uhm. So, are you enjoying the _ beauty _ of our city?" she said, teasing the smiling man next to her. 

"Ah, my dear Cupcake; so many years together and you still have a lot to learn. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it depends on who’s looking and whether they have the perception to see,” he replied, taking the woman's chin with his free hand and directing it toward an old oak tree.

Under that tree was a young woman whose beauty took her breath away. 

Even in daylight and under the shade provided by the tree, her pale skin seemed to sparkle. Her features and jawline looked like they had been carved by angels and the black hair falling over her eyes gave her an air of mystery. How could she have missed her? She couldn’t take her eyes off the woman. 

When she looked closer, she noticed the woman had an air of sadness and melancholy about her that made her look even more beautiful.

 "She’s the one, Cupcake."

 

“Sorry?” she replied. How long had she staring at the woman, she wondered?

"The one who will be the newest member of The Dream  Squad ." 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes I know. This is not what you were waiting for because 'Hey Mckie! Where the heck is Hollstein!?' But I promise next chapter would be more Hollstein-ish. I think, I don't remember *BIG SLOW AWKWARD WINK* 
> 
>  
> 
> See you next friday, Creampuff.


	4. I’m in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do they all attain such happiness in the end? These dreamers?"
> 
> "For some, it lasts a lifetime; for others, it’s only temporary. The important thing is that for a brief time, their fondest dreams come true. If you didn't know of our existence, which is just an act based on illusion, wouldn't you want to enjoy your fantasy, even if it was only for a few hours?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hollstein chapter. Kind of. 
> 
> WINK WINK. 
> 
> You'll see.

 

 

 

 

After walking through half the city, K needed a rest. She had spent the morning looking for a new job to try and at least pay this week’s rent. Although she knew that Spencer wouldn’t really throw her back out on the street, she was tired of always looking for his help. At this point in her life, she felt she should have her life figured out like any normal person. 

It must be nice to be one of those people though, studying at university and making friends with people who had ambitions in life that didn’t include surviving day to day. Maybe they’d meet a cute fellow student, fall in love with her and be there for each other through good times and bad. They’d graduate together, travel around the world and find their dream careers instead of slaving away at crappy jobs and tolerating rude customers. The sort of life she was never going to have. 

 

The greasy smell of sausage from a hot dog cart interrupted her fantasy, making her stomach rumble. She took out a package of cookies to assuage her hunger, trying to make them last as long as possible. She noticed a small injured dog approaching her. It’s piteous whining wrung her heart, and she shared the last of the cookies with it.

Afterwards, K snuck in through the lobby of the rundown hostel to avoid Spencer; she didn’t want to admit that she hadn’t been able to find a job. But he wasn’t around, and she made it to her small room. She removed her old leather jacket (a gift from Spencer a few Christmas’s ago) the only garment that she treasured and the only present that anyone gave her since her father’s last gift, a copy of  _ The Jungle Book _ that she cherished so much.

She loosened the laces on her old boots and threw herself onto the mattress. All she wanted was to do was forget her unhappy state of affairs, even just for a few minutes. But the sound of cautious steps in the hallway disturbed her. The walls of the hostel were paper-thin, and she hated how every sound seemed amplified, no matter how quiet the other person was trying to be. 

 

The steps stopped outside her door.

A few moments later, a small card slid under her door, and the steps began moving away briskly. She leaped up from the mattress and wrenched the door open, but no one was there or in the hallway. She listened but didn’t hear anyone leaving the building either. She picked up the card and lay down on her mattress to read it. 

_ Tomorrow _

 

_ Midday _

 

_ 307 Le Fanu Ave _ .

 

That was all it said. 

At first, she thought it was a joke by one of the drunkards or junkies in the hostel that were always trying to ask her out. Her first instinct was to throw it in the trash, but when she examined it again, she realized the address was located in the best neighborhood in the city and that the card was made from very high-quality stock. There was no way any of her odious neighbors would have ever set foot in an area like that so it couldn’t have been from one of them.

But it was too late to think about it, and K decided to sleep on it until morning. Even though she had never been an early riser, she still had to get up anyway and look for work. Depending on how well that went, she’d decide whether she’d turn up or not at the address on the card.

Morning arrived a lot quicker than she desired, and she rose with a grunt to wash in the make-shift shower Spencer had installed. As usual, the water was scarce and ice cold. She took her cleanest clothes from her backpack and prepared to head out to find work. She wondered for a moment if it would be the last night that she’d sleep on the old mattress and scolded herself for attaching so much value to the dirty thing.

 

Later that morning, K had lost count of the number of rejections she’d received. Most of them had at least half-a-dozen health code violations, but even so, the owners hadn’t considered her worthy to work for them. 

Exhausted and starving, she checked her pockets for her last cereal bar, the only food she had for the foreseeable future. When she pulled it out, the small card from the previous night landed on the ground. Lifting the card, she asked a passer-by what time it was. He glared at her and gruffly answered 11:37. 

 

“What have I got to lose,” she muttered and began walking briskly to the address.

 

*

 

"How do you know she’ll come?" asked Cupcake, while waiting on the porch.

“I don’t,” replied Vordenberg.

"Then why are we even waiting? We could begin working on the next mission. Laf and Bookworm have nearly finished gathering all the data, T.A. and Zeta are preparing the plan, and Dean has nearly finished the costumes. I should be with them instead of waiting for a stranger that may or may not turn up. It’s not that I don’t trust your hunches, but we don’t know whether she’ll agree to work with us or anything about her,” she replied, throwing her hands in the air and pacing the porch impatiently.

 

Vordenberg only smiled. When she turned, the black-haired beauty from the park was standing there watching her curiously. 

 

Cupcake was sure she had never blushed so hard. She was mortified. 

"Hey!" she said, hoping the girl hadn’t noticed.

"Hey," the girl replied, warily.

"I see that you decided to come," said Vordenberg

"Uhm. To be honest, I have no idea why I came here." 

"I do, but take a seat. Do you want a drink?" 

"Water would be nice, thank you." 

"Excellent. Cupcake, can you bring a glass of cold water for our guest?" 

"Me? That is to say, of course; but… I thought that you needed me here." 

She was surprised at Vordenberg’s request but was distracted by the mocking smile on the girl’s face and the fascinating way she raised one eyebrow.  _ Ugh!  _ Think Cupcake.

"You can join us after treating our guest." 

 

K couldn’t resist the impulse to have a little fun.

"Yes, Cupcake. Where are your manners? Huh?" she said teasingly, knowing the effect her words would have. And of course, the blonde girl tightened her fists and tried to maintain a neutral expression at their visitor’s impertinence. But she could still feel the way her traitorous stomach fluttered at the sound of the girl’s voice.

She made her way to the kitchen, grumbling the whole way. K still managed to pick up a ‘rude!’ and ‘who does that raging b… bad person think she is?’ which made her chuckle.

Vordenberg remained silent, and she began to wonder why she came to this elegant location. The porch alone was larger than her room in the hostel. 

"Well, are you going to tell me why you invited me all the way here? I assume it wasn’t to offer me a glass of water?" 

"It is a beautiful day, isn't it?", replied Vordenberg, wistfully.

K looked at the sky sullenly and maybe if she wasn’t wondering where her next meal was going to come from, she’d find some time to appreciate things like blue skies, sunshine, and fluffy white clouds. This was not the case.

"Look, if all you want to do is make fun of a needy person; mission accomplished. But I don't need this shit. I need a job." 

"What makes you think that I don't have a job for you?" 

"Well, say so and stop wasting my time! I could be using it to find another sucky job with an asshole boss that pays me whatever he can get away with. Unless, of course, you want to be that asshole.”

Vordenberg couldn’t help but laugh at K’s attitude.

"I don’t know how much of an asshole I am, but I’ll take the opportunity of being your boss. If you agree, then you’ll never have to spend another night in that filthy hostel, and you’ll never know another hungry day.”

"Assuming that I accept your offer, I warn you that I won’t do anything illegal or anything that involves nudity. I’m penniless and have almost nothing, but I still have some dignity." 

"Oh! It is good to know that. Nothing we do here is illegal, although it’s not strictly legal either. Let's just say that we work around the law, and our only goal is to bring happiness into other people’s lives." 

"Old man, that actually sounds worse." 

Vordenberg just laughed again as if she’d told him the world’s funniest joke.

"Here's your water," said Cupcake, handing K the glass with a little more force than necessary, causing some of it to spill over her fingers.

"Cupcake, I think that today is a good day to visit  Ms. Jordan," said Vordenberg, acting as if he hadn’t noticed.

 

_ That’s odd _ she thought but nodded anyway. 

"And I think you should bring to our guest too." 

"What?"  replied both women at the same time. 

"I sense Ms. Jordan would appreciate the company today," he replied with a smile.

Cupcake nodded again, even though his request puzzled her. She went back into the house to ask Bookworm to take them to the hospital. K was perplexed as well, but for a different reason.

 

"You still haven’t told me what this ‘job’ involves nor have I accepted your offer." 

"I know, I know. But I know it will be more effective and convincing if Cupcake shows you what we do instead of telling you. When you return from your trip to the hospital, then you can decide. But if you choose not to return, this is payment for the inconvenience of coming here today.”

Vordenberg handed her a small envelope. When she opened it, she was astonished at the amount of money inside. She had never seen so much cash in her life.

"This… this would pay for my hostel room for a few years…" 

"Perhaps, but you must understand something first if you accept my offer. What you do here isn’t just about the money you earn; that’s the least of it. There is another payment you receive too. It’s intangible but more precious than any coin or treasure this world has to offer.” 

"I can’t accept this. I’ve only just met you Mr. …, I don't even know your damn name!" 

"Oh, of course, of course! My humblest apologies. My name is Cornelius Vordenberg," he replied, extending his hand. 

"My name is…" 

"Your real name doesn't matter here. Or your past. For now, drink your water while we wait for Cupcake and Bookworm to bring you to the hospital." 

_ Cupcake? Bookworm?  _ He better not give her any idiotic names like that if she decided to stay, she thought.

A few minutes later, she was feeling totally out of place when a young bearded man opened the back door of a luxurious black van to let her in. He offered to take her backpack, but she backed away from him, holding onto it tightly. She felt embarrassed when Cupcake gently told her that he only wanted to put it in the back for safety. When she offered to help her into the van, K snapped ‘I can manage’ causing her to roll her eyes in exasperation at her stubbornness.

 

Bookworm tried to close the van door once she was inside, but K beat him to it and slammed it shut herself. He seemed intimidated by her, and she had to admit she enjoyed the feeling. It helped her forget the embarrassment she felt a minute ago. 

He walked over to the other side of the van to do the same for Cupcake, who thanked him sweetly as she got into the back seat and sat beside her. K stiffened at the proximity of the blonde girl. Could she not have taken the seat at the front? 

For the first few minutes, the atmosphere in the back could have cut with a knife. Or perhaps, Cupcake thought, with K’s jawline.

"Are you going to ignore me for the whole journey?” grumbled K. “At least tell me where we’re going and that you’re not kidnapping me." 

"Are you always this suspicious?" 

"People have never given me a reason not to be." 

Cupcake felt guilty and a little sorry for her. But the woman sitting next to her was right, she knew nothing about her, and she shouldn’t be judging her on the basis of a few cutting comments. She had learned from experience that people like her usually had a troubled past, and were often like that to protect themselves. 

"We going to the General Hospital of Styria," replied Bookworm from the driver’s seat.

"What’s the reason?" 

"I don't know what Mr. Vordenberg has told you about us…" 

"Nothing. All he said was that all would be revealed if I went with you,” K replied with the most apathetic tone she could manage. 

Cupcake turned to look at her. 

"We are going to see an old friend of Mr. Vordenberg. She’s a friend of mine, too. She cared for me and most of us when we were growing up. Unfortunately, she developed Alzheimer's Disease a few years ago and sometimes she doesn’t remember who  _ we _ are." 

"What the hell does that have to do with me? And who do you mean when you say 'we'? Vordenberg has been mentioned it, but he never bothered to tell me what he’s talking about.”

"We are a team that Mr. Vordenberg has gathered over the last few years. Orphaned children and young people who life has mistreated in some way. If you decide to stick around, you’ll learn more about what we do.”

"And we’re visiting this Ms. Jordan because…?" 

"Ms. Jordan had a daughter who died in a car accident. On her best days, she remembers her death. But on her bad days, she always asks when she’s coming to see her. We’re here now, so you’ll see for yourself.”

They’d arrived at the hospital and Bookworm got out to open the door for Cupcake. K allowed him to do the same for her, not wanting a repeat of the previous scene. 

"This makes no sense to me," grumbled K as they walked through the hospital entrance. 

"Then look at this way,” replied Cupcake. We’re not just a team, we’re family. We take care of each other, but we also watch out for other people without them knowing it. I like to think that we’re like guardian angels protecting the dreams and the happiness of others." 

K raised her eyebrows in disbelief. It sounded unbearably cheesy, but the other girl seemed sincere. 

"And what specifically do you do?" asked K.

"We generate fantasies, we create illusions, and we fulfill dreams." 

"You mean you lie to people to make you feel good about yourselves? 

"We’re not doing it for us, it’s purely for them. But I don't like the word  ‘lie;’ rather we create…" 

"Fantasies. You already said that Cupcake,” replied K, pinching the bridge of her nose. “But as I see it, a lie that makes people happy is still a lie.”

She almost ran into Cupcake when she stopped suddenly in front of one of the private wards.

"You still don’t get it,” she said in a whisper. “Sometimes a dream or fantasy is all that a person has to hold on to. Now, I need you to understand that what we do is not something simple. It requires a total commitment to the dreamers. You must believe in the character you play." 

"Hold on! You want me to play someone? Now?" 

"All I ask is that you make her smile. She doesn’t have much time left, and this could be our last visit," replied Cupcake, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. K realized that this meant a lot to the girl. She recalled her mentioning the woman was  _ a friend of mine too. _

 

“You’re killing me, Cupcake,” she sighed. 

 

Before K could say anything else, the other girl had knocked and entered the room, leaving her no choice but to follow her. Inside was an old woman sitting in a rocking chair, knitting.

"Who are you?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Ms. Jordan, do you not know who I am?” said Cupcake.

The old woman shook her head, and K felt a little sorry for the girl whose disappointment was palpable.

"It's okay. I have brought a friend with me." 

She stood to one side to allow K to enter the room.

"Uhm. Hello," she mumbled. 

"Natasha!" said the old woman in delight.

K looked apprehensively at Cupcake, who just nodded, begging her to humor the woman. 

 

_ Well, here goes nothing _ , K thought.

"Hello, Mother." 

"Natasha, it’s you! You have come back from your trip. They told me you were never returning, but here you are." 

Ms. Jordan staggered to her feet to embrace K, who was stunned at her reaction. It took her a few moments to drop her backpack and hug the woman back.

"I’m so glad to see you again. You must think I’m a crazy old woman, crying like a fool to see their daughter again." 

"Don't say that, Mom." 

"Tell me what you want to eat. No, I know what you're going to ask for. A chicken pie. It’s been your favorite dish since you were a little girl." 

"That sounds great Mom, but why don’t you tell me what you’re knitting instead?”  replied K, taking the woman’s hands gently and helping her back into the chair she had been sitting in. 

"It’s a scarf. I was almost finished, but I’ve forgotten how to do the finishing stitches,” replied Ms. Jordan sadly, putting away the black wool.

"It's beautiful and also my favorite color," said K, kneeling in front of her.

"I thought your favorite color was green," she replied, looking confused. 

"It is! But Natasha has been away for so long that she prefers black now," replied Cupcake in a rush.

"Uhm. Yeah, right. Cupcake here is right." 

"Cupcake?" 

Cupcake cringed. Ms. Jordan remembered her real name sometimes but naturally didn’t have a clue who K was talking about. 

"Oh, of course! How silly of me, Mom. This is Cupcake, a friend that I made abroad. You know how foreigners have such dumb names." 

If looks could kill, K was sure she’d be dead from the glare Cupcake threw at her. But she just feigned innocence while smiling sweetly at the elderly woman.

"Ms. Jordan, it is a pleasure to meet you. Natasha has told me a lot about you." 

"It’s always a pleasure to meet Nat’s friends. Especially one as cute as you," replied Ms. Jordan. She looked at both woman carefully as if she was trying to figure out something.

A repetitive beeping sound broke the silence, and she turned her attention to the clock on her bedside table, before looking back at Cupcake. 

"Can you bring me a glass of water? It is time for my medicines." 

She was apprehensive about leaving the two women alone together. It was K’s first time alone with a ‘dreamer,’ and it was a woman who was like a mother to her when she lived at the orphanage.

"It’s okay, Cupcake. I'll stay here with Mom. We’ll have a nice chat until you come back.”

She could see the doubt in Cupcakes eyes and got up to take her hands in hers, trying to persuade her that everything would be okay. Her hands were warm to the touch, and K felt strangely reluctant to let go. But Cupcake obviously felt reassured and stroked the back of her hands with her thumbs before slowly letting go and leaving the room.

 

As she made her way to the lobby, she realized she was blushing. Back in the ward, K was doing the same.

"So, you’re friends?" asked Ms. Jordan.

"Uhm. Yes. She helped me a lot when I was abroad and wanted to accompany me when I told her that I was visiting you." 

"She’s very pretty," replied Ms. Jordan, evenly. 

"She is," replied K, avoiding her accusatory gaze. But then Ms. Jordan smiled. 

"Natasha, is she your girlfriend?" 

"What?!" 

"When you were young, it took me some time to realize it, but you were always in love with Elise." 

"Elise?" 

"Your best friend, Elise." 

"Oh, yes! Elise. I remember her. But I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mom." 

"I want you to know that I don't care who you love. I will always love you, and you deserve happiness with someone who loves you back." 

She would have given anything to hear those words from her real mother. She felt her cheeks wet with tears. 

"Natasha, you don't have to hide from me. I saw the way you looked at each other." 

"Mom, it's not what you think." 

"Look me in the eyes, Natasha." 

K couldn’t refuse her and knelt in front of Ms. Jordan again. She could feel every wrinkle in the woman’s hands as she took her face between them and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I’ve always been proud of you, Natasha. If she makes you happy, then I’ve gained another daughter in my last days on this earth." 

Cupcake chose that moment to return with a glass of water, allowing K to stand up and hide her tears. 

"Everything okay?" she asked, curiously.

"Everything is perfect. Come, come, let me give you a proper welcome," says Ms. Jordan and gave the confused girl a warm hug which she returned. It always broke her heart when she didn’t remember her each time she paid a visit. She started to sob into the woman’s shoulder who held her reassuringly and whispered ‘you have my blessing.’ 

 

She frowned in puzzlement but decided to let it go. 

The afternoon passed by quickly and soon they had to say goodbye. Cupcake’s heart broke a little more, but she felt a lot better when she saw Ms. Jordan smile the way she used to, even though she was crying too. She took the badly knitted scarf and wrapped it around K’s neck before giving her a kiss on the cheek. Cupcake found it incredibly touching when K hugged and kissed Ms. Jordan back.

 

It was even more so when K she whispered “Thank you, Mom. I’ll always wear it.” She knew it was supposed to be for Ms. Jordan’s ears only, but Cupcake still heard it.

 

K was so absorbed in her own thoughts when she walked back to the van that she didn’t even realize she had let Bookworm open the door for her. 

It was a quiet trip back to the house. Both knew if they said anything, they’d be a mess. Bookworm sensed the mood in the back of the car and didn’t say a word. 

When they arrived, K remained in the van as the other two got out. Bookworm looked in concern at Cupcake, but she shook her head and held her hand out for the car keys. He understood immediately and passed them to her before going inside. 

As she got into the back seat, she noticed K had the scarf in her hands, stroking the material slowly. 

"Are you okay?" 

"I don't know. Will she be okay?” 

"She doesn’t have long left, but you made her happy. I know you didn’t do it for me, but it still means so much to me that you gave her happiness.”

“Do they all attain such happiness in the end? These dreamers?"

"For some, it lasts a lifetime; for others, it’s only temporary. The important thing is that for a brief time, their fondest dreams come true. If you didn't know of our existence, which is just an act based on illusion, wouldn't you want to enjoy your fantasy, even if it was only for a few hours?"

K pondered the question for a moment. There was only one decision she could make. 

"Okay Cupcake, I’m in." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next Friday!


	5. Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I knew it," said K.
> 
> Cupcake stared at her, confused. 
> 
> "You think I'm hot," replied K with a flirty wink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to anyone out there still reading this. One week Creampuffs!!! 
> 
> Also, I'm giving my ticket for Yonge-Dundas Cineplex away FOR FREE. I won't be able to be at Toronto for the premiere time. But I want a Creampuff to enjoy it if they can't have the ticket. So, if you live in TO and you want it or know someone that could be interested, please sent a DM to my Tumblr @mckarnstein or just spread the word sharing my post at Tumblr and Twitter.

 

 

 

  

K couldn’t believe what she what she had just agreed to.

 

 _‘I’m in._ ’

 

She was about to retract the offer, but the warm hug she received from Cupcake and the scent of the honey shampoo she obviously used was so distracting that K couldn’t focus on anything else. The feeling of her arms around her neck and the way her warm breath tickled the skin on her neck didn’t help.

 

She couldn’t remember the last time someone held her like that or feeling so good about a simple hug. She was working up the courage to wrap her arms around the girls’ waist when the sound of someone clearing their throat caused them to spring apart.

 

Sighing, she looked up to see a short haired redhead standing in the porch with their arms crossed, apparently fascinated by what was happening. 

 

"Dinner is served, and Dean’s instructions are ‘don’t shoot the messenger,’ they said with a smirk and their hands held up in defense.

 

"We’ll be there in a minute Laf! I was just welcoming our new team member." replied a flustered Cupcake 

 

"Of course you were. I'm going to help Dean bring out the food, so don’t spend much longer ‘welcoming’ our guest,” replied Laf, throwing her a wink before going inside. 

 

"I'm sorry about that,” said Cupcake, blushing. Don’t worry, I promise everyone on the team is a good person although one or two may be a little more annoying at first. But you’ll love them, and I know they’re going to love you.” 

 

As Cupcake made her way into the house, K lingered a moment longer, looking around the front garden. When she turned, the blonde girl was still in the porch and smiling encouragingly at her. There was just something about her and K felt she had no choice but to follow the girl. As soon as she turned her back and entered the house, K rolled her eyes at herself. _Don’t be a sucker for a pretty face_ she said to herself repeatedly.

 

When she entered the house, she couldn’t believe how cozy it felt. At first, she thought the large fireplace in the living room had something to do it, even though there was no fire lit. But then she realized it was more than that; it was something in the air that was more than the spick and span furniture and the smell of polish in the living room. It felt homely.

 

"You can leave your backpack on the couch while we have dinner and afterward I’ll show you to your room,” said Cupcake, pointing to the spotless white sofa. K looked at her doubtfully and clasped her raggy backpack closer to her chest. Noticing her hesitation, Cupcake patted her shoulder reassuringly.

 

"Or perhaps I could bring you to your room first, and you could leave your things there? We can pick up the rest of your stuff from the hostel tomorrow if you like?” 

 

K just stared at a spot on the carpet and Cupcake stepped closer to tap her on the arm. She jumped slightly when she felt the contact, but K’s face remained expressionless.

 

"Hey, I can ask Bookworm to bring you there after dinner if you want,” said Cupcake, trying again. 

 

"There isn’t anything else. Everything I have is here," replied K so quietly that Cupcake felt her heart breaking a little at the woman’s distress. Everything she had fitted in that small backpack.

 

Cupcake knew what it was like to have almost nothing. But even with her austere childhood in the orphanage, she was able to enjoy certain privileges that Vordenberg did his best to provide for her. When he first formed the Dream Squad, he had more money than he knew how to spend, so in addition to buying things for her, he continued to search for other people like Cupcake.

 

But now she had an idea for the first thing she’d buy with her next paycheck. 

 

Cupcake grasped K’s hands gently as she continued to hold the backpack, trying to reassure her that she was amongst friends.

 

"What if we leave it in your room and then we’ll have some dinner together with everyone else? We could all get to know each other." 

 

K raised her eyes tentatively but nodded when she saw the other girl smiling. 

 

On entering the bedroom, K couldn’t believe her eyes. It was clean, bright and far bigger than her room at the hostel. In the center was an enormous king-sized bed, brand new by the looks of it. She already knew that lying on that bed would feel like sleeping on a cloud.

 

As if the bedroom wasn’t big enough by itself, Cupcake opened another door that led to a massive closet, just off the bedroom.

 

"You can store all your stuff here." 

 

K was quietly grateful for the other girl's discretion in saying 'all your stuff' as if she didn’t notice that she was only carrying one bag.

 

While passing next to the bed, she couldn’t resist running her fingers over the black duvet and feeling the silky material. It felt even more heavenly than it looked. Cupcake smiled at the action, realizing how wonderful it must be for the girl to have something that actually belonged to her and no one else. 

 

K put her backpack on one of the shelves of the closet, noticing that it already contained some clothes such as jeans, t-shirts and some pajamas. Once she’d done that, Cupcake beckoned her over to another door.

 

"This is your bathroom,” she said. “Dean wasn't sure what you’d like, so she put a little bit of everything here. But over time, you’ll be able to buy your own stuff.”

 

K looked at the cleanest bathroom she’d ever seen in her life. Everything gleamed as if it had never been used and she couldn’t believe something like that actually existed outside of a catalog. When she looked in the bathroom cabinet, it contained several small bars of soap, all in assorted colors. Each one had a distinct scent, and she found she liked the lilac one the best. Beside them were several small bottles of shampoo, all in colors that matched the soaps. She felt as if she had wandered into a Bed, Bath and Beyond store or at least what she imagined one to be like given that she had only ever looked through the windows of one.

 

The next thing that drew her attention was a small basket containing various colored balls in pastel shades. Seeing her confusion, Cupcake picked up a yellow one. 

 

"These are bath bombs. This one’s lemon, my favorite. Here, have a smell!”

 

K smiled at the girl's enthusiasm and sniffed it cautiously. As expected, it smelt like lemon juice, but the scent was a little overpowering, and before she could stop herself, K let out an enormous sneeze.

 

Right into the other girl’s face.

 

"Oh God, I'm sorry,” she said immediately, trying to cover her nose and mouth. Cupcake wiped her face after being showered with spittle and burst out laughing. K was relieved when she heard the girls helpless giggling, but to her astonishment, she felt something more. Cupcake wasn’t laughing at her; she was laughing for the pleasure of it, and that made K feel warm inside, something that hadn’t happened for a long time.

 

"Do you want to smell another one?" asked Cupcake, once she’d got herself under control

 

"I don't think so, Cupcake. I won’t be putting anything like that near my skin if it makes me sneeze like that.”

 

Cupcake just giggled again and opened one last door. When K saw the huge black bathtub in the center of the white-tiled room, she was stunned into silence. Like everything else, it was spotless. 

 

"The bath-bombs are put into the bath first to dissolve to help you relax. My favorites are the lemon or vanilla, but the cinnamon also has its charm. But don't tell Dean that the rose scented is my least favorite," said Cupcake, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

 

K found the expression utterly adorable, not that she’d ever admit it to anyone. But she couldn’t hide her smile, something that had was happening more frequently, the longer she spent in Cupcake’s company.

 

"I think we better go down to dinner. Otherwise, there’d be nothing for us to eat.”

 

"Wouldn’t be the first time that happened to me,” replied K, without thinking.

 

She regretted her words immediately. Cupcake looked so sorrowful, and she hated herself for causing her to feel that way. She waited nervously for her response.

 

"Well, I promise you that’s never happening again," replied Cupcake, giving her arm a gentle squeeze.

 

K felt she could get definitely get used to that.

 

"Lead the way, Cupcake." 

 

It wasn’t the first time that Cupcake heard K call her that, but she felt a delicious shiver run through her body at the sound of the girl's voice. She hadn’t used her real name for years, but hearing her nickname from someone else had never sounded so good. Especially in that raspy, seductive tone of voice…

 

She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. She’d only known the girl for a few hours, and it wasn’t right to objectify her like this, no matter how tempting it was.

 

"Uh, Cupcake?" 

 

"Dinner! Of course." 

 

Cupcake practically ran out of the bathroom to K’s astonishment. She hurried after her but didn’t catch up until she reached the kitchen. But they weren’t alone. The redhead from the porch was also there, regarding them appraisingly.

 

 "It's about time! I see the ‘welcome’ took a little longer than usual,” they said.

 

K merely smirked, understanding what they were implying. She felt she could get to like this redhead. Cupcake just rolled her eyes while trying to avoid K’s, but she was blushing hard enough to shame a tomato. K found it enchanting and her new favorite thing about the little blonde. Except of course for her laughter which was in a league of its own.

 

Her musings were interrupted by a second redhead that she hadn’t met before, this one with curly hair.

 

"Well, they’re here now sweetie, and that’s all that matters. Both of you, wash your hands before eating. I have some meat in the oven garnished with bacon, and there are mashed potatoes with gravy. I’ve also prepared a salad, and for dessert, there’s strawberries and goat cheese. We also have some red wine, or if you prefer, there is still some orange soda left and some water." 

 

Her expression softened when she saw K rubbing their hands in anticipation. As for K, she felt her mouth watering at the sight and smell of so much food. Before today, her dinner had usually consisted of some cold sandwich she had bought on the way back to the hostel or whatever leftovers could be easily carried and hidden from the restaurants and cafes she had worked in. She noticed in passing that the bearded guy from earlier was also at the table and two others, including another redhead. Was Vordenberg collecting them or something, she wondered.

 

Cupcake took her by the arm to ensure that she obeyed Dean’s instruction on washing her hands. She was very particular about that rule.

 

The team were flabbergasted after K polished off three helpings of dinner, mostly at the girl’s capacity to eat. Dean was also horrified at her table manners, although flattered at how much she enjoyed the food. Once they were all finished, everyone got up from the table to help wash up, except for K. On the contrary, she leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head, ready to slip into a food coma. She hadn’t eaten so much or so well in a long time. Possibly never, when she stopped to think about it. 

 

Cupcake decided to let it go because it was the girl’s first night and that she should be treated as a guest. _For today only_ she promised herself.

 

"So, I’ve got a new job. What exactly am I supposed to do?" said the black-haired girl before taking a sip of her fifth glass of wine.

 

K thought it was the best wine she had ever tasted, especially compared to that cheap crap that Spencer used to share with her. 

 

"The first thing you need to do is pick a codename,” replied Bookworm. 

 

It was the first time he’d spoken to her since that awkward car journey. She found it strange to be spoken so respectfully as if she was an equal. It was another thing she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

 

"Codename? Aren’t we all a bit old to be playing at spies? I have no problem with people calling me by my real name. My name is K…" 

 

"No!" blurted Cupcake, almost dropping the dish she was drying. "No one here uses their real name. That’s a house rule. We don't care about your past or what people called you in your old life. Now that you’re part of our team we will refer to you with a name that speaks for itself." 

 

"Riiight,” replied K, dubiously. “So, what’s her name then?” she said, pointing at the third redhead who was putting the clean dishes away in the cabinets. “Wait, let me guess. It’s Clifford, isn’t it?”

 

That at least got a laugh from the lanky man with the puppy dog expression. It almost got him a smack on the back of the head from the same redhead.

 

"And you must be Meathead?" she continued.

 

That earned K a snigger from her and a big puppy pout from him.  

 

"Who's next? Curly Sue and their assistant, Dr. Frankenstein?" she said with a smirk.

 

"Oh, I like that. Can I change mine?" they replied with a laugh.

 

"I don't think so, sweetie." declared ‘Curly Sue’ firmly, earning a surprised look from everyone including K, and the redhead turned immediately to hide their embarrassment. 

 

 _Whipped_ , thought K, smugly.

 

"Actually, our codenames are nothing to do with our physical appearance, no matter how appropriate your observations are," replied the bearded man earnestly.

 

Everyone turned to look at him in anger.

 

"Appropriate, but also unkind; I must ask you not to refer to my friends that way," he said sheepishly.

 

"Whatever,” she shrugged. What century did you come from anyway, Your Lordship?” said K, resting her chin on her hands.

 

Cupcake sighed at the girl's comments and handed the last plate to the tall redhead before turning to face K.

 

"He is Bookworm, obviously because he loves books and is practically a walking library. This is T.A.,” she said pointing to the third redhead. “She loves literature and protecting others; the man beside her is Zeta. Sometimes he has no idea of what’s going on but he’s loyal, courageous and a good friend to everyone. The one with the smirk is Laf and to be honest, I’ve never understood their choice of name, but they know everything about science and technology. Finally, this is Dean, the den-mother of our little group who takes care of us and gives us a scolding whenever necessary." 

 

K grimaced a little at all the information Cupcake dumped on her. She’d never seen or heard anyone talk so much. She still thought her names were much better but decided to let it go until something occurred to her. 

 

"The only one that makes sense is yours, Cupcake. Obviously, because you’re sweet and delicious," she said, licking her lips in an exaggerated manner after taking another sip from her wine. She tossed in a wink for good measure.

 

It was totally worth it to see the girl turn crimson and try to think of a response. She was enjoying the show until Bookworm cleared his throat to get her attention again.

 

"Uhm. Certainly, Cupcake is the sweetest person I know. But what’s more important now is your own codename," he said nervously while studiously ignoring the second part of her comment.

 

Why not 'Queen of the Night' or Elvira?" replied T.A., crossing her arms and scowling at K. 

 

"We already said she can’t use something that alludes to your appearance. No offense intended to you of course,” replied Bookworm.

 

K merely waved away the comment.  

 

"It’s also too long, T.A. Right, Bookworm?” said Zeta. “How about something like… Hottie?" 

 

"Nothing physical, Zeta," replied Cupcake. 

 

That earned her an astonished look from everyone at the table except K who just looked smug. And once again Cupcake felt herself blushing.

 

"Why don't you tell us a little more about yourself, dear?" asked Dean, trying to divert attention from her friend.

 

 "There isn’t really much to tell,” replied K, looking vulnerable. “I have lived alone most of my life. I like the night and the stars because I find them comforting. I like to read, even though the only occasions I get to do it are if I successfully manage to sneak into the public library. My favorite one is Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book' before you ask. That’s everything about me.”

 

She didn’t bother mentioning her mother's abuse of her or her father's death. But she was still surprised at herself for even telling them the little she did. She had never even told Spencer that much even though she had known him for a long time. She felt a little ashamed at admitting her favorite novel was a children's story, but Cupcake’s patient smile gave her some reassurance.

 

"How about 'Bagheera'?” suggested Laf. “That was the panther’s name in the book, it matches your black clothing, and he was strong but solitary." 

 

They all considered the name in their own way, but K watched Cupcake as she crinkled her nose thoughtfully. She couldn’t take her eyes off her if she tried, but she wasn’t fully convinced about using the name. 

 

"It’s very specific, but I like the idea. Why not use 'Kitten’ as it starts with the letter of your old name?" suggested Cupcake. 

 

K thought about it carefully, reviewing the name in her mind. She felt her heart clench a little, remembering how her father used to call her ‘Kitty’ for a similar reason. She found it astonishing that Cupcake had the same idea even though she had never met the man. 

 

"I think I’d like that very much," she replied.

 

"Of course she’d choose your idea, Cupcake," replied Laf, annoyed that their suggestion wasn’t chosen. But Dean gave them a reassuring pat on the back, and they weren’t long in forgetting their disappointment. 

 

"Well,” said Bookworm with a cautious smile, “now that that’s sorted, I think we could all do with a good night's sleep, and tomorrow morning we’ll be ready to meet Mr. Vordenberg for our next assignment. But on behalf of the Dream Squad, welcome to the team, Kitten,” he said.

 

Dean bursts into enthusiastic applause. Naturally, Laf did the same while waggling their eyebrows. T.A. did a slow handclap until Zeta nudged her in the side to show more enthusiasm while he pumped his fist in the air chanting ‘Kitten! Kitten’ repeatedly.

 

K ignored them all except for Cupcake. As the girl applauded, she mouthed _Welcome_ to her and K swore she could feel butterflies fluttering in her stomach. At first, she tried to blame it on all the food she’d eaten earlier, but she knew that wasn’t true. It was the fact that people were actually welcoming her willingly to a place that might actually become a real home for her.

 

A few minutes later, they all made their way to their bedrooms. As K went to open her door, she noticed that Cupcake was waiting at the door directly opposite hers.

 

"Good night, Kitten," she said, biting her lower lip.

 

She felt that same fluttering again. She chastised herself for getting so worked up and enthusiastic at hearing Cupcake use her new name.

 

"Good night, Cupcake" K responded with a smile. Honestly, it was pathetic at how much she had smiled in the last few hours. She had to do something about all these feelings. 

 

Cupcake opened her door slowly but made no attempt to enter her room. K copied her action.

 

"I knew it," said K.

 

Cupcake stared at her, confused. 

 

"You think I'm hot," replied K with a flirty wink.

 

Cupcake shook her head, but couldn’t hide the smile on her face as she entered her room and closed her door.

 

K smiled to herself before entering her new room. But not before softly repeating “Good Night, Cupcake.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh.uh. This is not good... It's great actually those two... 
> 
> See you next friday!


	6. Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, it is obvious to all that Cupcake will have to be Laura, but who is going to play the role of her beloved fiancée, Carmilla?" asked LAF.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still having mixed feeling about the Carmilla movie but... here you go. Something kinda fluffy and very illuminating for the story :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

_ "When is Papa coming back?"  _

_ "I don't know."  _

_ "But he’s not usually away this long, Mama. He’s been gone for days now. That’s strange. I miss him.”  _

_ The little girl extends her two hands in front of her trying to explain to her mother how many days her father had been gone. Ten in total.  _

_ Her mother was still mending an old blouse, and her gaze became frozen.  _

_ "And since then I have not been able to read much of my book. Papa promised that he would continue to help me read."  _

_ "Never! Okay!? Your father is never coming back."  _

_ The girl's eyes widened in shock, and she could feel the tears welling up. _

_ "But… he promised…"  _

_ "Your father made a lot of promises, but never kept any of them. It wouldn’t surprise me if he died just so he wouldn’t have to keep anymore!"  _

_ The young girl felt as if her heart hat shattered into a million pieces. Dead. Her father had died and would never return. She couldn’t hold back her tears any longer and ran. Where, she didn’t know, but she knew she had to get away from that place. _

_ Eventually, her legs weakened, and she couldn’t take another step if her life depended on it. Distraught, she collapsed to her knees in defeat.  _

_ It was a familiar scene to K as it recurred almost every single night when she tried to sleep. But on this occasion, it felt different. Two arms held her small thin body, supporting her and preventing her from hitting the floor. She was held firmly, yet also gently as if the person was afraid she’d break apart.  _

_ "Wake up, Kitten."  _

_ That voice…  _

K opened her eyes warily. It was far too bright and nearly impossible for her to focus on where she was. She closed her eyes again, trying to adapt to this unfamiliar place. 

"Kitten!" 

When she opened them again, she found it easier to handle all the brightness that surrounded her. With a grunt, she threw off the silken sheets and walked over to the bedroom door to see who was calling her from outside. 

Opening the door, K saw the little blonde from the day before. She opened her mouth to speak, but when she saw K, words seemed to desert her. Instead, she turned her back, but not before K caught a glimpse of her red cheeks. 

 

"Oh, my God! Good morning. I just wanted to let you know that breakfast is ready and that we are all waiting for you to start; but there is no trouble whatsoever if you need more time, take all the time you need. It’s like the food is going to grow legs and walk away anyway.”

Puzzled, K crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway, feeling the touch of wood on her bare skin.

 

_ Oh. _

 

Looking down, she realized that she only had a pair of black boy-shorts on and a matching bra. After wishing Cupcake a good-night, she had taken a bath in the luxurious tub (the first one she had ever had) and found the sleeping set in the closet. From her time living in the hostel, she had always slept fully dressed; mainly because on several occasions, some of the drunkards or junkies that were also staying in the building ‘accidentally’ entered her room. But last night she really wanted to feel the sensation of clean sheets against her skin.

"Good morning, Cupcake. Do you want to hang on for a moment? I’ll be ready shortly.”

And of course, Cupcake began stumbling over her words, to the delight of K. 

"No! That is to say, I'll wait for you downstairs, we’re looking forward to you joining us. We are all downstairs. Having breakfast. And I said that already. Ok. Bye!" 

The blond turned and almost collided with the bookcase in the hallway before stumbling and disappearing down the stairs. 

K laughed to herself at the girl’s antics and returned to her room to put on her old worn jeans and a sleeveless band t-shirt from the closet. Nothing was more puzzling to her than the contents of this closet; everything looked as if it had been picked with her in mind. 

After breakfast, the team was preparing to meet Vordenberg and Kitten. While waiting, K glanced around at all the books in the meeting room. She ran her fingers over them, astonished at how many were in this room alone.

"It is a pleasure to see that you've decided to stay with us," said Vordenberg as he entered the room behind her.

"It’s not like I received a better offer," she replied with a shrug, tearing her eyes away from the books.

"Bookworm has informed me that you have picked the name Kitten. I believe it is well chosen." 

"Well, it was either that or 'Bagheera.'" 

Vordenberg broke into laughter as he patted her a few times on the shoulder. But seeing her tense up at his touch, he stopped and held his hand up in apology.

"Well, Kitten, you are welcome here. It is time to begin." 

The other members of the team made their way in and took their seats. Kitten walked over to join them, but there didn’t seem to be a free seat for her. Seeing this, T.A. punched Zeta on the shoulder.

 

“You were supposed to provide another chair. Idiot!”

"Oh! No matter, I can stand here,” replied Kitten. Or maybe I could sit on Cupcake’s knee as it looks more comfortable." 

Kitten threw the girl a conspiratorial wink who starred back at her, her mouth hanging open.

 

“Uhm. I…”

"Just kidding, Cutie. The puppy’s seat is perfectly fine." 

Cupcake felt relieved and laughed as she swatted Kitten playfully on the arm when she passed her seat. LAF, who was sitting beside her, also seemed to find the whole thing amusing. However, T.A. wasn’t laughing and glared at Kitten menacingly as she took Zeta’s seat. 

"Dean, please ensure that there is an extra chair tomorrow," said Vordenberg firmly. Dean nodded emphatically and added his request to the minutes.

"Now that we’re all here, we can begin. As some of you are already aware, our new mission is possibly the most complex one that we have ever been asked to undertake. I say ‘asked’ because this case is different. Normally, we choose the dreamer; this time however, there has been an applicant. A gentleman called Mr. Sherman Hollis has requested our aid." 

On the screens, a picture of a bald, friendly looking, middle-aged man was displayed.

"I’ve known Mr. Hollis since he was a child. Now although I’m fully aware that I should not be asking this, it is important for you to know that this particular mission is a personal favor I owe Mr. Hollis and I expect the best performance from all of you.”

They all nodded in agreement, except Kitten. She still had no idea what the meeting was about.

"Who is the dreamer?" asked Cupcake. 

"It’s the mother of his wife, Lilith Morgan.  She had one daughter named Eileen who grew up to marry her childhood sweetheart, the same Sherman Hollis. After years of trying, they finally had a daughter, Laura Hollis. Eileen died in a car accident when Laura was only five years old. In his grief, Mr. Hollis became an overprotective father and with Lilith’s help took care of Laura.”

T.A. called up some new photos to the main screen. 

The first one was of a tallish woman with a smaller younger woman beside her, both with shoulder-length blond hair. The second picture was of a young Mr. Hollis with the younger woman; he was hugging her around the waist while both were smiling at the camera. The third was of the couple with a small baby, held in Mr. Hollis’s arms. Although they were both looking at the child in awe, the happiness on their faces was also evident. The fourth was of a young blonde girl smiling at her mother, her happy gaze reflecting her own.

"When Laura reached adolescence, a problem arose between her father and her. Mr. Hollis attributed it to his daughter feeling that he rejected her because of her sexuality, which he found incomprehensible as he always loved and supported her in everything she did.”

 

"But that’s not all. Laura developed a crush on an older girl named Danielle who convinced her to steal money from her father and run away with her. Laura disappeared from the face of the earth until a few years later, when she came back home to the house that Lilith shared with her father to ask for more money. The sweet child that Lilith knew was no more; Laura was now seventeen, had been in juvenile detention on several occasions and was a drug addict. Sherman tried to help her and how did she repay him? After a blazing row with him, she stole more money and disappeared to the United States. That was the last time her father ever saw her.”

A new set of photos appeared on the screens. One was a police ID shot of a woman with reddish-brown hair and a lost look.  _ L, Danielle _ could be read on the board she held up in front of her.  A second was a similar one of Laura Holli. The blonde hair was now a filthy tangled mess, and with the bags under her eyes, she bore little or no resemblance to the photo of the happy little girl with her mother.

 

"With the death of her daughter and the first disappearance of Laura, Sherman Hollis felt that Lilith had suffered enough. She hadn’t been well, and this new disappearing act that Laura pulled would have killed her. For Sherman, the woman had been like a second mother to him and after the death of his wife was the only person left in his life.  So, he hid the theft from her and told her that Laura had agreed to go to the United States to a drug rehabilitation clinic.”

Kitten continued listening to the story and wondered how stupid someone had to be to leave these people. She couldn’t conceive of someone abandoning such an accepting family if Hollis had no problem with his daughter’s sexuality.

"Ms. Morgan began to get suspicious of her granddaughter’s absence and accused Mr. Hollis of abandoning her. To prevent Lilith from looking further into her disappearance, Sherman began to write letters to Lilith and signing them as if they were from Laura. In them, she talked about her new life after her successful treatment at the rehab clinic and how she was accepted at a university in the US to study journalism. She graduated with honors and began a relationship with a woman she had met at the same university called Carmilla Karnstein. “

 

“There was more about Laura getting an internship at one of the top newspapers in the country and moving in with Carmilla when they got getting engaged. Over the years, she made a name for herself as one of the top journalists in the media, thanks to her constant dedication to her work. This meant she was always busy and couldn’t return to visit Lilita and her father. “

 

“Bookworm, can you take it from here please?”

 

"Everything was going perfectly, until one day, Lilita received a phone call directly from the real Laura, letting her grandmother know that she was returning to Austria in a couple of weeks. The call was made from New York which confirmed the last information Mr. Hollis had from his daughter and coincidentally matched with the letters.  

He pressed a few keys on his laptop and played an audio file in which they heard the trembling voice of an elderly woman and the murmur of a young girl confirming what the young man had already told them. But the call was cut off before the older woman could ask anything else. 

"So, do we need to prevent the plane from arriving?" asked Cupcake. 

"Sadly, that won't be necessary on this occasion," replied Vordenberg. “This is the flight Laura Hollis was on.” A newspaper article appeared on screen with the headline  _ Terrible accident claims the lives of 150 passengers and crew. No survivors.  _

Dean let out an “Oh God!” as she covered her mouth and LAF rubbed her back to comfort her. 

"Okay, Laura is dead. I don’t see the problem,” said Zeta. 

"Sherman hasn’t told Lilith. The only thing that kept her alive for so long was Laura’s letters. Her health has deteriorated over the years, and he fears that this will kill her," replied Vordenberg sadly. 

"So, one of us has to pretend to be Laura?" asked Cupcake. 

"Precisely. Laura and Carmilla must show up at Lilith’s house to comfort her in what may her last days. After a couple of weeks, Laura will receive an important call from work that requires her to return to the United States and thereby give her grandmother the peace of knowing that her granddaughter turned her life around and became a good person.”

"How is it that this 'Laura' writes to her grandmother and doesn’t communicate with her in any other way? I mean, there’s emails, or she could send pictures or even video-call. Writing letters in this day and age seems somewhat old-fashioned, no matter how romantic and personal it sounds,” said Kitten.

Everyone turned to her in surprise. None of them had even thought about that.

Vordenberg smiled, while Cupcake raised her eyebrows in amazement. She was enraptured by the interest the girl seemed to be taking in the case, while Kitten seemed embarrassed by the fact that everyone’s attention was suddenly on her.

"Excellent question, Kitten. On the death of his wife Eileen, Sherman became increasingly paranoid and in trying to protect his family, avoided the use of any modern technology like that in his home. Lilith wouldn’t have thought it unusual that she’d write directly to her and in addition, she had seen the last fight between Sherman Hollis and Laura. She was willing to believe that Laura wouldn’t use the phone if there was any chance that her father would answer it.”

"But the real Laura did take that chance," replied Kitten.

"Well, it is obvious to all that Cupcake will have to be Laura, but who is going to play the role of her beloved fiancée, Carmilla?" asked LAF. 

"Me? Why would I have to be Laura?" asked Cupcake, making LAF roll their eyes in exasperation.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but you're the only blonde one of all of us, and you’re just as tiny as she was," said LAF with a smirk. Kitten couldn’t help but let laugh at the girl’s outraged sputtering. Which drew Cupcake’s attention to her.

"I am not tiny! And you’re only an inch taller than me!" she shouted, waving her index finger threateningly at Kitten.

"Hey! An inch is an inch, Cutie. That’s why I’m allowed on the rollercoasters, and you’re not,” she replied with a wide smile while throwing a wink that she knew would infuriate the girl.

Although everyone around the table except Vordenberg laughed at first, they soon shut up when Cupcake glared at them, even Kitten. The black-haired girl realized that despite her short stature, Cupcake was actually very intimidating when she wanted to be, and even the puppy and the giant redhead were cowed by her.

"LAF is correct,” replied Vordenberg. “Cupcake indeed the best person for this job; not only because she resembles Laura so closely in looks and height, but also because she’s the most experienced one here. Because I’ve also known Sherman since he was a child, I know they’ll get on perfectly."  

"That means Bookworm and Zeta are out, for obvious reasons. So, our only option is that I play Carmilla," said T.A. confidently. 

"That won't be necessary T.A.," replied Vordenberg in a neutral tone. Everyone in the room looked pensive except T.A. who was frowning at her boss’s rejection. 

 

"The role of Carmilla will be played by Kitten." 

"What?!" shouted everyone in the room, Kitten the loudest and most surprised of all of them. 

"But she hasn’t even been here a day!” replied an outraged T.A. “She doesn't have the slightest idea of how we work! She could ruin the whole mission!" 

"If Clifford here wants the job, I’m okay with that," replied Kitten, trying not to feel upset at T.A.’s words and the surprise of the others. It wasn’t as if she wanted to play someone else anyway after yesterday’s episode, not even if it was going to be with the delectable Cupcake. Nope, she definitely didn’t want that role. 

"There is no other way. Sherman Hollis was very specific in the letters he wrote as 'Laura.' Carmilla has black hair and is just an inch taller," said Bookworm 

"Ha!" shouted Cupcake, pointing to Kitten who just smirked at the blonde’s enthusiasm.

"Sherman Hollis will be here tomorrow morning. He has told Lilith that he has some business to look after in the city, so you only have a few days to work on this and read through all the letters that he sent in Laura’s name. You can start today, but the real hard work begins tomorrow and will continue for a few weeks. We cannot fail this one.”

The team gathered their things and paperwork to prepare for the new mission. As for Vordenberg, he made his way back to his luxurious van so that Bookworm could drive him home. But before he managed to get inside, someone shouted his name. Turning, he saw Kitten running down the path and leaned on his cane to wait for her. 

"Kitten, is everything okay? Do you need something?" 

"I just wanted to give you this," she said, holding out an envelope. He recognized it as the same one that he had given her yesterday. 

"I don't understand?" 

"You said that if I didn’t return or accept the job, I could hold onto this money. But I have accepted your offer, so I can’t keep this." 

Vordenberg was moved by her honesty. Once again, he had confirmation that he had picked the right person to join his beloved team. She was not only determined to do the right thing, but she also had an innate concern for the welfare of others no matter how useless it seemed, because she wanted to prove otherwise. He also knew how harshly life had treated her because of it and that she guarded her feelings very closely. But if anything could break down those barriers she had built up, it was his beloved team. Or more specifically, Cupcake.

"Keep the money, Kitten. I am sure that these jeans weren't the ones Perry chose for you and if there is anything else you need, you can buy it with that." 

"No. You said…" 

"I know what I said. Now you work for me and accept my orders," he replied in a tone that brooked no argument.

Kitten looked thoughtfully at the envelope in her outstretched hand. 

"Okay, fine! I’m keeping this, but only on the condition that this is my first payment and I’m accepting no further cash until I’ve spent all of it.” 

The man smiles at the stubborn woman. 

"As you wish, Kitten." 

Kitten nodded brusquely and placed the envelope in her back pocket. Vordenberg wished her a good day and was about to leave when he noticed her fidgeting and biting her lower lip. Something else was apparently on her mind.

"What else can I do for you, Kitten?” 

Kitten frowned at the ground, trying to find the words for what she needed to ask.

 

"Do you not think that T.A. would be better as Carmilla?" 

"Are you doubting my decisions?" 

"No. Well actually, I don't know. This is my first assignment; and although yesterday with Mrs. Jordan went well, that was only for one afternoon. I don’t know if I can do it for a longer period of time and with a more defined role. What if I mess it up like T.A. says?”

Vordenberg removed his hat to hold it between his hands with his elegant cane.

"A few years ago Kitten, we had an ‘easy’ mission. Or so we thought. The owners of a bakery were on the verge of bankruptcy, and we wanted to help them. To do that, we needed their customers to believe in them again. Cupcake planned to visit the bakery, pretending to be a famous food blogger on YouTube and the rest of the team was to spread the rumor around town about this. Cupcake was supposed to praise the dreamer’s bakery to the skies, and as word got out, well the rest would be a breeze.”

 

“What actually happened was that Cupcake tried a cookie or two, completely forgot her mission and devoured two full trays of pastries, cupcakes, and brownies. While Dean shared some of her baking wizardry with the dreamers, T.A. and Zeta engaged in a contest to see who could eat more cream puffs. As for LAF, they began taking bets from the customers on the outcome.” 

Kitten burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. She could picture the scene perfectly especially the part where Cupcake devoured all the baked goods. 

"Bookworm was supposed to keep an eye on the entrance but got distracted when after two hours inside, none of his friends came out. Because of that, someone phoned the police and said the business was running an illegal gambling ring. Do you realize how absurd that sounded? People betting on food eating contests!" 

Kitten laughed even more. Vordenberg was right, it was utterly absurd. 

"The business was closed down because of it, Kitten.”

Her laughter died in her throat when she saw how serious he was. 

"They lost everything?" 

"Oh, no. They only had to pay a fine before reopening. Fortunately, it was covered by a mysterious new silent partner who offered to invest in their business," he replied with a wink.

Kitten found she could smile again. 

"The bakery has been a great success since then and now holds an annual contest to see who can eat the most creampuffs. So as you can see, Kitten, sometimes everything doesn’t go as planned at first, but things find their way. Just like you found your way to us." 

"I wasn’t looking for this, though." 

"Maybe not consciously, perhaps not even exactly this. but I am sure there is an excellent reason for you being here now." 

Kitten frowned once more. She couldn’t fathom how her life was supposed to have led her to this point where she worked with Vordenberg or his team. Or Cupcake. 

"As it is, we all make mistakes. What’s more important when you’re working as part of a team is that there is always one person in it to catch you when you fall.”

 

Vordenberg put on his hat and looked up towards the top floor of the house before climbing carefully into the van. 

When it drove off, Kitten turned to see what he was looking at. In one of the large bay windows upstairs, she spotted an apprehensive looking Cupcake peeking out through the curtains before jumping back when she realized Kitten had seen her.

“Yeah, maybe,” thought Kitten before re-entering the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next Friday and buckle up, Creampuffs the ride is just beginning ;)


	7. Laura and Carmilla.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Both of you make a lovely couple.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm. If someone is still reading this sorry for the delay. 
> 
> This is the initial chapter of the central mess.

 

 

 

 

"Laura Eileen Hollis, 25 years of age, born in Styria on the 23rd of October 1990. Graduated with honors in journalism from the University of Yale. She’s been working for a couple of years in LNN media as an anchorwoman. Engaged to Carmilla Karnstein for the past two years. And we live together in a beautiful apartment in Soho, New York." 

Cupcake smiled broadly, as she gave T.A. a high-five while simultaneously rehearsing for her latest role. 

"Excellent work, as usual,” replied T.A., smiling as she rubbed Cupcake’s back.

Kitten was trying to focus on her own cue-cards by rehearsing with LAF, but instead, she couldn’t help but notice the interaction between the couple at the other end of the room.

 

"It’s just as well your character doesn’t have to rehearse any murder-eyes or jealous scenes with Laura Hollis,” said Laf, waving their hand in front of them.

 

"I have no idea you are talking about, LAF." 

"Sure, you don’t. Can we get back to Carmilla’s character? I think you already know enough about Laura’s character at this point,” they replied with a pointed look.

"Yeah, whatever. Carmilla Karnstein. Born in Ottawa, Canada on the 3rd of April 1990. Graduated with a master’s degree in philosophy from Yale University. Now working in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Columbia. We met during our stay at Yale, where we shared a room, and she was so infatuated with me that she kept pestering me until I said yes to a date," said Carmilla, raising her voice at the last part. Naturally, this attracted Cupcake’s attention who just rolled her eyes in response.

"Mr. Hollis will be here shortly, Kitten. You should stop playing and pay more attention to your index cards so that everything is ready when he arrives," said Dean, entering the room with a large plate of chocolate chip cookies. 

"Cookies!" squealed Cupcake in delight, racing from the other side of the room, grabbing a handful and running back to join T.A. All in the blink of an eye.

"I don't work well under pressure, Curley Sue. And as tasty as your baked goods are, they don’t act as an incentive or reward to me,” said Kitten with a yawn. “Unlike some ‘other’ people who really should limit their sugar intake,” she continued, as the blonde girl practically inhaled the cookies she held.

Cupcake scrunched her face in response and stuck her tongue at Kitten.

"Very mature of you, ‘Laura,’” replied Kitten, unable to contain her smile. 

LAF smiled too, but only because of what they saw as the blatant flirting between the two of them. 

"Well, in case you didn’t know, this is part of my character too. When she was a little girl, Laura loved her grandmothers baking. So, I'm doing this for my craft," said Cupcake, biting dramatically into another cookie and throwing a challenging look to Kitten.

Kitten had seen that same look from her before. It was as if Cupcake was trying to read her mind, to figure her out with the power of her gaze alone. 

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway attracted everyone’s attention, interrupting the staring contest between the two women.

"Mr. Hollis is already here!" said Dean in a panic. She rushed to clear up the mess of crumbs and papers on the tables and hurried out of the room to change out of her apron and baking gloves.

As they went downstairs, Zeta was already in the hallway with a huge cardboard box between his arms, trying not to drop it while closing the hall door at the same time. 

"Props are here, Team!" he shouted as he staggered into the front room, dropping the heavy box with a thud.

"Zeta!" groaned everyone. 

"Sorry dudes… I mean lady-dudes and… uhm… LAF," replied Zeta, looking embarrassed at his prat-fall.

"I thought that you were Mr. Hollis!” said Dean, frowning as she re-entered the room. She was wearing rubber gloves and carrying a bucket of cleaning materials in one hand while holding a vacuum cleaner in the other. “I still have to finish preparing the guest bedroom for his stay," she said, as she left again before anyone had a chance to respond. A few seconds later, they heard her footsteps running up the stairs.  

 

Kitten was left wondering how the redhead found time to change their clothes and grab all the cleaning stuff. A mental image of Dean stressing out at her arrival a day or two ago made her smile. But for now, the box of props caught her attention.

"What is all this stuff?" asked Kitten as soon as the box was open, and they began to take out various items. 

"These are some things that we need for the photos," LAF answered while pulling out an old sword to clean it with the hem of their shirt. 

"Uhm. What photos?" 

"Laura and Carmilla had several 'adventures' during their university years; the grandmother will want to see some photos of them together” replied T.A., shaking out a long black cloak with the emblem of a snake on it in emerald and silver.

"Ok, but what kind of 'adventures' needed an old sword, cloaks, a sign that says  _ This is a Good Sign _ and… a yellow pillow?" 

"Didn’t you read any of the letters that Bookworm gave us yesterday?" replied Cupcake impatiently, throwing her hands in the air. 

"I already told you that I don't work well under pressure." 

"Pressure? Mr. Hollis is about to arrive, and we’re due to meet Laura’s grandmother in a couple of days. We’re supposed to be two people madly in love with each other, Kitten!’

"Not much acting required for that last bit," muttered LAF to themselves as they continued cleaning the sword. They hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but when they looked up again, everyone was staring at them.

T.A. frowned suddenly as her eyes flicked between Cupcake and Kitten. Zeta’s jaw had dropped, and his eyebrows looked like they were trying to escape into his hairline. Cupcake’s face was getting redder and redder as she opened her mouth and closed it several times, failing to get her words out. As for Kitten she just raised one eyebrow.

"LAF! This is not… Kitten and I… I mean..., we don't…" 

Her stuttering was interrupted by the sound of another car from the garden which put everyone on alert. Cupcake was never so grateful for guests in her life.

As scheduled, they prepared to receive the three men in the reception room at the front of the house.

"Good morning, team,” said Vordenberg as he entered the room with Bookworm and one other man. “Excellent, I see that you’ve started already. Let me present our client, Mr. Sherman Hollis." 

Kitten had already recognized him from the photo she’d seen at yesterday’s meeting. But he looked exhausted, with dark bags under his eyes and thinner. She acknowledged him briefly with a nod while everyone else gave him a small wave. 

The man returned the gesture and sighed deeply as if the air in his lungs was too heavy to bear. The concern on his face was evident. 

"Sherman, I want you to meet Laura," said Vordenberg gently, taking him by the arm and leading him over to Cupcake. As he stood in front of her, she gave him one of her characteristic beaming smiles.

The man's face changed in an instant. His eyes filled with tears as his expression softened and he straightened his posture. He tried to speak several times and eventually managed to say one word. 

"Laura…" 

The atmosphere in the room could have been cut with a knife. They all felt a little uncomfortable at the scene unfolding. Sherman Hollis had apparently kept his feelings bottled up for years, and Kitten felt her heart breaking for the man. He looked so moved at the image of a daughter that he would never see again and the love he was never able to show for so long. She decided to intervene. 

"I’m Carmilla, Carmilla Karnstein," she said trying to distract the man from having a breakdown in front of them. It worked, as his eyes swung to her instead, although he seemed confused at her presence. 

"Laura’s fiancée, remember?" she prompted. 

"Of course, of course. Carmilla. It’s a pleasure to finally put a face to my daughter’s wife-to-be. That is to say, of… well, you understand," replied Hollis, wiping his eyes and trying to compose himself before shaking her hand. 

"The pleasure is all ours, Sherman." 

Kitten gripped his hand firmly while placing her other arm around Cupcake’s shoulder. Cupcake tensed slightly at the contact and subtly tried to remove Kitten’s arm. 

"Both of you make a lovely couple," said Hollis, smiling for the first time. 

"Well, that is why my Laura begged me to marry her," replied Kitten with a smile, tightening her grip on Cupcake. 

The blonde let out a squeak of annoyance but tried to remain impassive at Kitten’s daring. 

Mr. Hollis laughed out loud, and that seemed to relax Cupcake who played along by resting her head on Kitten’s shoulder as Dean joined finally joined the group.

"Mr. Hollis, welcome. We know you must be exhausted from his trip. Please allow me to show you your room."

As Dean led him away, Cupcake realized that she was still resting her head on Kitten’s shoulder. She straightened up and shook off her grip firmly, keeping her eyes focused on Vordenberg. 

"Well, well. I must leave now,” said Vordenberg. “Once Sherman is rested, the three of you can work together to refine the details. Ah! And this afternoon T.A. and Zeta will be taking the photos so that Bookworm can do his part. Same time tomorrow, everyone." 

 

"Uhm. At least we made a good first impression," said Kitten, shoving her hands into her jeans pockets.

"Hey, wait a minute!” said a surprised Cupcake. “Did you actually know that Laura was the one who proposed? Or was it just your usual flirty behavior?" 

"I never said that I hadn't read the letters," replied Kitten, shrugging her shoulders and staring at her nails. 

"Have you read every single letter?" asked Cupcake in surprise. 

"It’s not like I had anything better to do with my time, Cupcake. What are you trying to say?" 

"No, no. It’s just that Mr. Hollis seems to have an incredibly vivid imagination. Some of them were five or six pages long and written on both sides. Also, there was nearly eight years’ worth of them to get through, I'm just surprised because I only read half of them and my reading level has been verified by LAF at 800 words per minute." 

"Uh-huh. I guess that matches to your ability to speak and constantly put your own foot in your mouth at the same time. Well, Cupcake, my sincerest apologies for not knowing my reading speed, but just because I lived on the streets and didn’t get a formal education means that I’m ignorant. You’re a child and obviously understand nothing!” said Kitten, storming out of the room leaving a speechless Cupcake behind and the other three studiously staring out the window.

"I didn’t mean… I never said…," mumbled Cupcake before sighing remorsefully.

They spent the following hours changing clothes and posing for 'stupid couple scenes' as Kitten grumpily called them.

Mr. Hollis came down at dinner hour, and everything went more smoothly from there. 

After dinner, Kitten went outside for a breath of fresh hour and to calm down. The last conversation with Cupcake had left a bitter taste in her mouth. They had spent the whole afternoon working together on the photos, and there has been some physical contact between them like hugs, a hand held on occasion or a small caress now and again. It was getting increasingly difficult for her to remain mad at Cupcake when she looked so apologetic between scenes. 

Thanks to the environment she had lived in, she was well used to feeling despised by people before she had arrived in this house. She had never cared because the feeling was usually mutual, and they were often less intelligent than her, so any insults or insinuations she received never bothered her. Or at least, not as much as Cupcakes. 

What angered her the most was thinking that she was different and thus giving Cupcake the power to hurt her. Maybe she had read her wrong after all.

"You know, when I wrote about Carmilla being a romantic nostalgic about the stars, I never thought I would actually find someone that represents her so well," said Mr. Hollis, approaching the steps where she was sitting. 

"I must say that I find a bit tedious that Carmilla comes across as so broody and nostalgic in each of your letters," she replied in what she hoped was a joking tone.

"True, true. But Laura always had this attraction to women with an air of mystery about them… and apparently, my daughter wasn’t the only one who found that attractive,” he replied, nudging her shoulder with his. 

"She’s just playing a role, Mr. Hollis. Same as I am."

The man remained silent but was obviously working up the courage to say what was really on his mind.

 

Eventually, he continued. 

"You know something? My Laura wasn’t always the way she was. Once, we had a car accident, even though I had taken so many precautions since Eileen’s death. I guess there are just some things you can’t guard against like a driver taking his eye off the road for a split second. I was trapped in the car and Laura was there with me, but she wouldn’t leave. All I wanted her to do was to save herself and leave me there, but I was going into shock and couldn’t get the words out. She would have refused anyway. That was my Laura,” he said, staring at the night sky.

"So today when I saw Laura, that is to say, Cupcake, I knew I had to make you understand this much. The way you looked at her when we were having dinner, or the few photos that strange man Bookworm showed me, that was the life that I had always dreamed of for her. Happy and in love with a good woman who deserved her. You probably think I’m just an old fool because I know that isn’t the case, but for a moment, and for the next few days, I can afford to think that it is. And for that, thank you." 

Mr. Hollis rose slowly from the steps and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before going back inside. 

Kitten stayed for a few more minutes, contemplating the starry sky. Maybe Carmilla had a good reason for loving the stars so much.

Always there, always shining and perhaps closer than she imagined. 

  
  


 

 

 

 


	8. Meet Lilith Morgan.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No need to be so formal, dear. Just call me Lilith or Grandma. We’ll be family soon, and I feel like I already know you so well from Laura’s letters. Welcome home, my daughter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *At the beginning of this chapter the characters are still Kitten and Cupcake. But from this chapter now on They're are going to be Carmilla and Laura of course. 
> 
> Thanks to the creampuffs still giving a chance to this messy story :) Love you guys!

 

 

 

 

After two exhausting days of preparation, the relationship between Cupcake and Kitten seemed to be improving, at least in the sense that Kitten had stopped answering Kitten in monosyllables and spoke to her without using a go-between. Usually LAF, who was totally fed up at this point. 

Mr. Hollis had said goodbye the night before, with an overly enthusiastic bear hug for Kitten that made her feel as if her bones were being crushed. This day though was going to be their biggest test; they had to travel to Styria to meet Lilith and stay with her and Sherman for a week. When the week was up, ‘Laura’ was supposed to receive a call from New York, requesting her return as a matter of urgency. At that point, if they’d done their job, they’d be leaving behind a grandmother who had regained some happiness in her twilight years.

"I still don't understand why I can't go in your place, LAF," said T.A. crossing her arms in frustration. 

"I told you already, we don’t need any more antagonism between Kitt… Carmilla and you," replied LAF (the team had decided to help the two women out by referring to them as Laura and Carmilla to help them settled into their roles).  They’d already had a headache from having this conversation with T.A. several times today and couldn’t wait to leave.

While Cupcake and Kitten seemed to have reached a truce of some sort, Kitten and T.A.’s relationship hadn’t progressed at all. Kitten seemed to take great pleasure in tormenting her with an endless variety of nicknames. So far Xena, Clifford and Agent Orange were her favorites.  

The discussion was interrupted when Cupcake staggered down the stairs with a suitcase that was almost as big as her. T.A. ran immediately to help her, and the whole team gathered in the living room to receive their final instructions.

 

All except Kitten. 

"This is unacceptable! I’ve been ready for more than thirty minutes. We’ll miss the plane if we don’t leave now! Arrrgh!" shouted a frustrated Cupcake, pacing the room and throwing her hands up in frustration.

"Laura, we have plenty of time. Dean is with her. Apparently, Carmilla needed help with something," replied LAF, rubbing their temples. 

Vordenberg and the rest of team were waiting in the living room trying to hold their patience and avoid Cupcake’s wrath.

"Ugh! What’s taking her so long? We had everything ready since last night. If she’s not down here in five minutes, I swear that I’ll drag her downstairs myself." 

"Aaaw! Did you miss me that much, Cutie?" replied Kitten from the foot of the stairs. 

As Cupcake had her back to Kitten, the first thing she noticed was the stunned expressions of everyone in the room. Confused, she turned to see what they were looking at.

 

_ Oh my God, this must be what an aneurysm feels like _ , she thought, her jaw dropping.

"Look at you, you're exactly as Mr Hollis and I imagined Carmilla!" said a delighted Vordenberg. 

Kitten was wearing her usual smug smile at the sight of everyone’s expression, but the look on Cupcake’s face pleased her the most. She was wearing a pair of black leather pants that looked so tight that it seemed a wonder that anyone could still breath with them on. She had paired them a plain white t-shirt that would have looked average on anyone else, but which looked extraordinary on her. Cupcake had no idea if there was a rule against someone wearing a leather vest over a denim jacket, but Kitten broke it in style. To finish off, she was wearing a new pair of biker boots. 

But what really drew Cupcake’s attention was Kitten’s hair. Typically, it was in a messy bun, but this morning she wore it down, and it fell in delicate waves to her shoulders. It looked almost ethereal, and she suppressed an urge to run her fingers through it.

"Wow,” was the only thing she could say, causing Kitten to raise one eyebrow quizzically. The two women stood there, gazing at each other, oblivious to everyone else in the room.

At least until T.A. cleared her throat, breaking the spell the two women seemed to be under.

"Errr… Laura, it’s time," she said, bitterly. 

"Huh?" replied Cupcake, when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder and realized she was still staring at her ‘fiancée’. 

"T.A. is right,” said Bookworm, consulting his pocket watch. “We must leave now to avoid traffic and make sure that you’re checked in for your flight. I have your plane tickets and passports ready.”

"Of course! My flight! I’m Laura Hollis, and I have to take a flight to see my grandmother and my father with my fiancée Kit… Carmilla!" exclaimed the flustered blond gathering her things hastily and hoping nobody noticed how red her face was. 

Fortunately, the three of them made their flight and landed in Styria without any further fuss. By the time Carmilla and Laura collected their cases, LAF was waiting outside the arrivals hall with the car they’d hired for their stay.

"I’ll be at your disposal 24/7. Just give me a call, and I’ll be there," said LAF.

"Call you? I thought that you were staying with us," replied a confused Laura. 

"Yes… about that. The team had a talk and decided that it would be best not to complicate things any further. Besides, who brings a third wheel to their grandmother that they haven’t seen for ages? You already have your fiancée staying with you," they replied, looking at the couple in the rear-view mirror with a smug expression.

Laura sighed in resignation. Having Laf around meant less time alone with Carmilla, but she supposed she just had to deal with it. 

"How come we aren’t still married?" blurted Carmilla, speaking for the first time since the flight.

LAF almost veered into oncoming traffic before regaining control of the wheel,

 

"Why...? "What?!" replied Laura. 

"Carmilla and Laura. We’ve been engaged for two years. We love each other, yet why have we have waited so long to get married?" 

"Oh! Because… actually, you know what? It doesn’t matter. I don't think that the grandmother would be that curious." 

"I’m not so sure about that, Laura. Seems like a perfectly obvious question to me," replied LAF, frowning. 

"Look, it’s just that Laura and Carmilla have a hectic life and our jobs take up a lot of our time. Organising a wedding takes a long time, there are so many details and a lot of expense; the cake, invitations, the music, the venue, the dress…" 

"Sounds like someone’s already planned out their wedding, Cutie," replied Carmilla teasingly.

Before Laura could think of an answer, LAF burst out laughing, and the atmosphere in the car seemed to lighten instantly.

The remainder of the journey passed in silence. Carmilla contemplated the scenery, remembering it from the letters that Mr. Hollis composed in Laura’s name.

_ The vine harvest is what I remember the most from my years growing up in Styria, Gran. I remember how I used to wake up before the sun rose between the mountains to explore the green corridors of the vineyard while the workers collected grapes, each bunch chosen with great care.  _

_ I also remember Dad’s hands caked with dirt, as he carefully examined the vines and assessed their growth.  _

_ Perhaps, one day, I will return to those fields when a new crop is ready.  _

"We’ve arrived," said LAF as they parked in front of a huge gate. It swung open, allowing the car to make its way up a wide driveway to a large white house at the end.

Carmilla was so lost in thought while admiring the beauty of the grounds that she jumped when she felt Laura’s hand take hers. 

"What are you doing?!" 

"We’re engaged. So, we have to be at least seen holding hands," said Laura, avoiding Carmilla’s eyes.

 

Carmilla smiled to herself; if Laura really wanted to act out a ‘loving relationship,’ there was no reason she couldn’t have a little fun with that. 

As soon as LAF had parked the car in front of the house, Carmilla got out, raced around the other side and opened Laura’s door. She extended her hand to help Laura out, leaving her bewildered for a moment. It was the complete opposite of the rudeness that had characterized Carmilla’s attitude towards her since their disagreement two days ago. But she gathered her thoughts and took Carmilla’s hand as if she didn’t feel a surge of electricity on those rare occasions they touched. 

"Laura!" 

 

An elderly woman that Carmilla and Laura recognized as Lilith Morgan was waiting for them at the front door. She hobbled over with her arms open to welcome Laura.

Behind her, was a nervous looking Sherman Hollis, keeping his distance for the moment. 

"Grandma!" replied Laura, enthusiastically. 

The woman took Laura’s face between her hands and looked directly into her eyes, as if she could remember all the flecks in her hazel eyes and wanted to confirm for herself that they were still there. Her eyes drifted briefly over the rest of her features. 

"You have changed so much," Lilith whispered, almost to herself. 

"It’s because I’ve been away so long, Gran," replied Laura, nervously shifting her gaze to LAF and Carmilla.

"Ms. Morgan, you left this behind in the kitchen," said a middle-aged man, emerging with a tray of cupcakes in hand. 

"Cupcakes!" cried Laura in delight as soon as she saw them, making Carmilla roll her eyes. But she couldn’t help smiling at the girl’s reaction.

"There is my little Laur!" grinned Lilith, as a tear rolled down her cheek. "You can take the cupcakes to the room along with everything else, William," she continued. The man nodded and went back inside. 

LAF, Carmilla, and Sherman Hollis sighed in relief. 

"Welcome home, Laura-bear," said Sherman, approaching the blond who ran to hug him.

"Dad!" 

"You must be Carmilla, dear," said Lilith, turning to face her

 

 "Must I be?" she mumbled, before receiving a pointed look from LAF as they took the suitcases from the trunk. 

"Uh. Yes, I am,  _ Frau _ Morgan. Carmilla Karnstein," she replied, extending her hand to Lilith.

"No need to be so formal, dear. Just call me Lilith or Gran. We’ll be family soon, and I feel like I already know you so well from Laura’s letters. Welcome home, my daughter,”  

replied the old woman brushing her hand aside and gathering her into a hug, which Carmilla took a while to return. 

"Thanks… Li… Gran," she replied, returning the gesture before looking to Sherman. 

"Mr. Hollis, it is a pleasure to meet you at last. Laura has spoken so much about both of you that I feel like I know you already.”

"So, you're my little Laura’s wife-to-be. I hope to have a long talk in private with you later, Carmilla," said Sherman, looking very serious. So serious in fact, that Carmilla actually felt genuinely nervous.

"Dad, stop that! You have nothing to worry about. I assure you that Carmilla is a good person, a wonderful girlfriend, and a loving fiancé. I have no doubt that she will be an excellent wife too, someday," said Laura, taking Carmilla’s hand in hers and looking into her eyes

Carmilla was genuinely touched at Laura’s warm words and gaze, but she wondered briefly about her sincerity.

 

_ We’re just acting _ , she reminded herself. 

 

"You’re a lucky girl, Laura!" exclaimed Lilith. 

"Yes, very lucky," she murmured.

 

Maybe Carmilla was imagining things, but Laura sounded a little wistful.

"But come now, let's go inside. I spent the whole afternoon baking for your arrival," said Lilith. 

"Uhm. Ladies? Your luggage," said LAF gesticulating the mountain of suitcases in front of them. 

"Oh! I’ll get William to take them upstairs," replied Sherman. 

"That won’t be necessary. Our driver can look after these," responded Carmilla with a wicked smile to LAF. She took out some bills from her wallet and pressed them into LAF’s hand. 

 

LAF’s expression shifted from stunned to murderous.

"If we need you again, we'll call you," said Laura, placing a hand on their forearm and trying to apologize with her eyes.

"Whatever." 

"What was that?" said Carmilla with a haughty tone, beginning to enjoy herself.

"Of course, Miss Hollis," mumbled LAF. 

"Let's go inside," Sherman trying to hide his laughter. 

Upon entering the living room, Laura almost felt overwhelmed by memories; memories that weren’t hers, but the warmth of the room made her feel as if she was at home. She couldn’t help the joy she felt. 

"The images didn’t do this place justice," said Carmilla, admiring the spacious room. 

"Images?" asked a confused Lilith. 

"Yes. I’ve told Carm so much about my childhood here, that she told me she could picture this house in her mind and that she even dreams about it and the estate," said Laura when she saw the panic in the faces of Sherman and Carmilla.

"Of course, of course. I understand. Laura has always been good at telling stories and creating her own worlds in full detail. The only thing that mattered to her was a good story. I was a little surprised when she wrote to me to say she was studying journalism as I thought she’d end up being a novelist,” said Lilith. 

"Let’s have a toast to celebrate your visit," said Sherman quickly as William entered the room with a tray containing four glasses and a bottle of wine.

"This is our best vintage which I was keeping for a special occasion,” said Lilith with delight. “And Laura’s return is nothing if not a special occasion.” 

"To Laura!" said Sherman, raising his glass. 

"To Laura and Carmilla, Sherman. To their future marriage and happiness; and may this be the first of many visits.”

Carmilla raised her glass and placed her free arm around Laura’s waist. Laura jumped initially and tried to cover it by caressing the other girl’s jawline. To her surprise, Carmilla’s eyes drifted closed as she relaxed into Laura’s touch. 

 

When Carmilla opened her eyes, Laura was smiling shyly and gazing at her through her eyelashes. It was too adorable for her to resist and she pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. 

"But what kind of kiss is that? Don’t be so shy!" Lilith said gesturing to the couple. 

"Lilith…" Warns Sherman. 

"It’s okay, Dad, we’re going to be married. Nothing to be worried about," replied Laura, trying not to panic.

She gave Carmilla a quick, modest kiss on the cheek.

"There you go, Gran." 

"That’s not a real kiss, Laura-bear," she replied sadly. 

As Laura fiddled nervously with the glass in her arms, Carmilla noticed the anxious, yet hopeful look on Lilith’s face. She turned back to Laura and spun her slightly so that she was facing her.

She had never been so close to Laura before and noticed for the first time the small freckles on her nose, how beautifully her eyelashes fluttered when she was this near and the delicacy of her pink lips. This close, she could feel Laura’s breath on her own lips. Her fiancé, Laura. Without thinking, one of her hands caressed the nape of Laura’s neck and drew her closer. 

 

The moment their lips met, both women closed their eyes and let themselves be carried away by the kiss. Laura felt so light that as she deepened the kiss, she was sure her feet were no longer touching the ground. What she wasn’t sure about was whether it was the sweetness of the wine or Carmilla that intoxicated her senses. As it was, either of the two or both could become addictive. 

"Ahem!” 

Cupcake and Carmilla separated immediately, their eyes glazed over and their cheeks burning. 

"Uhm. I’ve left all your suitcases upstairs. I’ll let myself out," said LAF, smiling at them and making them feel even more embarrassed. Laura just knew that this incident was going to be the first thing mentioned in their report to the team.

LAF left the room after a couple of embarrassed nods from the two girls who were looking everywhere except at each other. 

"Did you see that, Sherman? That's how you know a couple are truly in love," said Lilith, wiping a tear from her eye. 

 "To Laura and Carmilla. And to my future grandchildren,” he said with a smile, making them blush even harder. 

Lilith applauded her son-in-law’s sentiments and drew both women in for a hug.

 

After dinner, the four of them were waiting eagerly for dessert, which Lilith said she had baked specially for the occasion. 

"These are in your honor, Laura," she said, pointing to one of the trays containing several cupcakes with yellow icing and sprinkled with small pieces of nuts. 

"Nuts...” murmured Laura. 

"Yes, your old favorites! But we need cookies too! I’ll have to find William and ask him where he put them,” said Lilith, before making her way to the kitchen. 

"Nuts!" she whisper-shouted to Sherman as Lilith left the room. 

"That’s right, they were my Laura’s favorite," he said, nodding. 

"I'm allergic to nuts!" said Laura in a panic while checking that Lilith couldn’t hear her.

But they could hear her steps approaching. Thinking quickly, Carmilla grabbed one of the cupcakes from the cake plate, ripped the paper off and stuffed the whole thing in into her mouth. While Laura stared at her in shock, she took Laura’s hand and dropped the cupcake paper into it. 

Carmilla almost choked swallowing the cupcake, and she swore she could feel her skin breaking out with the amount of sugar that was in it. How could the little blonde eat these things was beyond her as she tried to catch her breath. 

Lilith brought in a tray of freshly baked gingerbread which delighted Laura.

"Laura! You couldn’t even wait for a minute," chided Lilith when she saw the paper in her hand.

"You just know how much I like them, Gran,” she said with a playful shrug. “Yum. Even better than I remember," she continued as she licked her fingers and pretended to swallow the imaginary cupcake. 

"Carmilla dear, do you want to try one?" 

"No! … I mean, no thank you, Gran. I think I’ll just have a glass of water for now."

 

_ And for the rest of my damn life. I’m never going to get rid of that taste _ , she thought.

"Well, I think I'll have some gingerbread cookies now," said a smiley Laura taking several pieces in her hands while Carmilla glared at her. 

At the end of the evening, the four of them decided to retire to bed early. 

"I know you must be really exhausted from the trip, so I hope that the bedroom is to your liking," said Lilith as she opened the door to a large room containing their suitcases. 

A large single room. With one bed. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, oh, oh, oh! What are they going to do now!?


	9. Just like home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But when she looks at you, Laura? It’s as if everyone else has disappeared and all she sees is you as if there was no one else in this world worthy of her attention. Then her eyes are filled with those feelings that she has kept for so long inside her, of all the love and admiration that she feels only for you. Those walls she built up collapse as soon as she lays her eyes on you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay again :/ First AO3 was down on Friday and then I was kinda busy this weekend, gladly tomorrow is holiday here so I don't have to work :D

  
  


 

"A single room?" asked Laura, stunned. 

 

"Of course! Your dad tried to insist on separate rooms, but I saw no reason to make a fuss about it. After all, you and Carmilla have been living together for years. I may be old, but I’m not stupid or blind; it’s obvious that you’ve been intimate for years." 

 

"Lilith…" said Sherman in a warning tone. 

 

"Oh, don’t be so ridiculous, Sherman! Times have changed since your day and mine, and Laura and Carmilla are engaged. And an engaged couple having a sex life is perfectly healthy and normal." 

 

Laura started coughing, her face getting redder and redder 

 

"And believe me, Gran, we are more than healthy in that department," replied Carmilla with a wink as she patted Laura on the back and kissed her on the cheek.

 

‘I should hope you’re doing it regularly and energetically at your age. It would be nice for Sherman and me to have some children around the place to spoil,” replied Lilith, wistfully.

 

"I don't think that’s quite how it works with us, Grandma," Laura said between gritted teeth while she recovered from her shock. But Lilith dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand. 

 

"I don’t want to sound smug, but energy and regularity is not a problem for me. Not for nothing does Laura compare me to a panther in the bedroom," replied Carmilla, who was enjoying herself at this point.

 

Laura held her hands to her face, praying fervently for the ground to open and swallow her.

 

"A panther?" asked Sherman, watching Laura getting more mortified by the second.

 

But then she turned to Carmilla with a smirk of her own. 

 

"Well, Carm, that’s not exactly what I was referring to. I've always said that there’s something of the feline about you in the bedroom, but I actually meant you’re like an adorable little kitten who loves cuddling and purrs so sweetly when you’re asleep.  But it’s so cute that my little kitten actually thinks she’s a panther,” said Laura, taking Carmilla's face between her hands to rub her nose with hers.

 

The scowl Carmilla gave her was totally worth it.

 

Sherman exploded in laughter as Lilith tried and failed to hide her amusement at their antics. 

 

"Although I haven’t been this happy in years, I think it's time to say goodnight, Sherman." 

 

"Yes, yes. I just want to have a few words with them before going to my room." 

 

"Oh, leave them in peace, they don’t need a sermon from us. Put some earplugs in if you don't want to hear anything. Luckily, my own hearing isn’t as good as it used to be,” replied Lilith with a wink to Carmilla as she hugged them before leaving.

 

"Congratulations! Both of you were incredible, and Lilith approves. Thank you for your hard work and commitment," whispered Sherman as he hugged them before leaving himself. 

 

The two of them stood there unmoving, uncertain of what to do and avoiding each other’s eyes.

 

"Adorable little kitten?” blurted Carmilla, looking pissed off.

 

"A panther in bed? You are unbelievable,” responded Laura, mockingly. 

  
"I must remind you that Laf wanted to call me 'Bagheera,' Cupcake," replied Carmilla with a smirk.

 

"That’s only was because Laf was intimidated by you. I doubt it had anything to do with your ‘prowess’ in bed," she replied, taking one the pillows and blankets from the bed.

 

"Uh, what are you doing, Cutie?" 

 

"Getting ready to sleep. As you can see there’s only one bed, so as a gentlewoman, I will sleep on the floor," replied Laura, laying the blanket down. 

 

"Cupcake, you take the bed; I can sleep on the floor." 

 

"No. It’s no problem, I can…" 

 

"No arguments, I’ll sleep on the floor. At least tonight, it will be under a roof that doesn’t leak," Carmilla said while taking the blanket from Laura.

 

Laura couldn’t help but notice how her skin tingled when Carmilla’s fingers brushed against hers. 

 

"No, Carm… that isn’t necessary..." 

 

"Cutie, seriously. I'm not going to let you sleep on the floor when there is a very comfortable bed there waiting for you. Also, my experience sleeping on hard surfaces trumps yours." 

 

Laura felt obliged to accept when she saw the sad smile on Carmilla’s face, possibly recalling some of the nights which she had to pass sleeping on the streets. She couldn’t deny her this small victory. But she didn’t like it.

 

Placing her suitcase on top of the bed, Laura began searching for her sleeping clothes. 

 

"I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised with how today went, though. What you did with the cupcake and how well you did at dinner was outstanding work." 

 

"I know you had your doubts, Cupcake, but when I said that I was going to do this, I was going to keep my promise. I just wish that I didn't have to lie to Lilith to make her happy.”

 

"I already told you that it is not really ‘lying.’ It’s true that it’d be nice not to have to resort to us, but life…"

 

Laura’s felt the words die on her lips as she turned to Carmilla on the way to the bathroom. Her mouth went dry when she saw her bare back as Carmilla put on a tank top that she had removed from her own case. The delicate light in the room, mixed with the brightness of the moon coming in through the window, seemed to make the skin on her bare back glow and sparkle. Laura felt an almost overwhelming urge to touch it, to see what it felt like under her fingertips. 

 

"You were saying something about life, Cutie?" prompted Carmilla, as she pulled down her top.

 

Fortunately for Laura, Carmilla wasn’t facing her as she was suddenly aware that she was staring slack-jawed at her.  But she couldn’t tear her eyes away until Carmilla began unbuttoning her leather pants and the flush of heat she felt at that simple action made her feel as if she was going to explode right there.

 

"Sorry, what?" 

 

"You were saying Cupcake, it would be nice for us not to, but that life…" 

 

"Of course! That life sometimes is just the way it is. I’m getting undressed now. Changed! That is to say, changed in the bathroom! I have to go to the bathroom to change my clothes! Ok, bye!" replied Laura, as she stumbled and hurried out of the room.

 

Carmilla frowned as she turned to see Laura scurrying into the bathroom.

 

_What the frilly hell just happened?_

 

Eventually, she shrugged and dismissed it from her thoughts. If there was one thing she learned about the little blonde over the last few days, it was that she was so unpredictable sometimes. 

 

When Laura returned from the bathroom, Carmilla was already lying on top of the blanket which she had spread out beside the bed. She was staring at the ceiling absently as she rested her arms behind her head.

 

Laura was wearing check pajama pants and a tank top of her own. She made her way to the other side of the bed so as not to bother Carmilla by stepping over her.

 

"Sherman and Lilith are good people," said Carmilla when she heard the bed creak. 

 

"They are. It is a pity that the real Laura didn’t seem to appreciate them. They’re so loving.”

 

Both women continued to stare at the ceiling, and although Laura usually found it hard to tolerate silence when she was with another person, on this occasion she found it comforting. Being with Carmilla just felt right, and kind of homey. 

 

"Do you think this is what it would feel like to have a home and family that accepted you?" asked Carmilla after a few minutes. Her voice was so quiet that Laura felt a pang in her chest when she heard it. 

 

"I don't know. I never had either of those things. At least, not in the traditional way; my family was formed over the years as the team grew and they became my home too. I am happy with them, but you will never feel the same,” Laura replied, hoping that Carmilla didn’t notice how her voice faltered.

 

"At least you had them when you needed them. It’s a lot worse to wonder why your own blood relation never accepted you and never to know what a home feels like," said Carmilla, wistfully.

 

"But now you do." 

 

"Good night, Laura," sighed Carmilla.

 

"Good night, Carm." 

  


 

Carmilla woke up the following morning, feeling fully refreshed. Even though she had got used to her own bed back at the team’s house, she felt a sense of relief after the short conversation with Laura last night. It was if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. 

 

As she yawned and stretched her arms, she also noticed that she was covered with a blanket that wasn’t there the night before. She smiled at the thought that Laura obviously put it there when she was asleep.

 

She was distracted suddenly by the bathroom door opening to reveal Laura singing happily to herself and wearing nothing except for a bath towel. She was so engrossed in the song that she didn’t even notice that Carmilla was awake.

 

It wasn’t until she went to take off the towel that Carmilla cleared her throat to make her presence felt. 

 

"Oh, my God! Carm!" 

 

"Good morning to you too, Cutie," she replied, her voice huskier than usual.

 

Laura felt a shiver run through her body and goosebumps on her skin.

 

 _Probably the early morning breeze_ she thought.

 

"Good morning," Laura mumbled while grabbing her clothes and stumbling back into the bathroom. 

 

Carmilla’s smile only got bigger when she saw how red Laura’s face was. It was something she never got bored with. 

 

When both were dressed, the made their way downstairs for breakfast. In the middle of the stairs, Laura timidly took Carmilla’s hand in hers, and for the first time, Carmilla didn’t jump at the action. That made Laura smile to herself.

 

Sherman and Lilith were already waiting in the dining room for them. 

 

"How was your first night at home?" asked Lilith with a smile. Neither of the two women missed the suggestive tone in her voice. 

 

"Excellent, Gran,” replied Carmilla. “Well, to be honest, I actually have a slight pain in my back, but otherwise, we slept very well," she continued while pulling out a chair for Laura.

 

Laura smiled shyly at the gesture as she took her seat at the table. 

 

"Oh dear! Is it because of the mattress? We can try to replace it with one from another room or buy a new one," replied Lilith, sounding very concerned.

 

"No, no, Gran. The bed is perfect; it's just a little uncomfortable in some positions…”

 

"For sleeping! Carm found it hard to settle into the correct position for sleeping," said Laura hastily, trying to cut off whatever inappropriate comment Carmilla was sure to make.

 

Carmilla just shared a knowing laugh with Lilith. Sherman looked shocked and gave Laura a stern look. 

 

They had a nut-free breakfast, thanks to Carmilla insisting to Lilith that Laura had to improve her diet and cut back on her sugar intake. This meant that Laura only managed to eat one cookie during the meal no matter how hard she glared at Carmilla.

 

Afterwards, the four of them make their way out to the vineyard. 

 

"Can I steal my granddaughter a few minutes?" asked Lilith, taking Laura by the arm as they strolled through the vines.

 

"Of course," replied Carmilla, gently giving Laura a peck on the cheek before joining Sherman which was carefully examining some of the grapes.

 

Laura offered her arm to Lilith to lean on as they walked together. 

 

"So? What do you think of Carmilla so far, Grandma?" 

 

"You know something? When I read your letters about Carmilla, I always thought it was a little strange." 

 

"Strange? What do you mean?" asked Laura, nervously. 

 

"Yes, strange. The philosophy student, who came across as so impenetrable, sarcastic and insolent. I didn't understand then how such an extraordinary person had won your heart." 

 

"And now?" 

 

"Now I understand completely why you have fallen in love with her. Every little detail, every little warm smile that she offers as a gift, every look she that gives you and what a look!" 

 

"Look? What look are you talking about, Grandma?" replied Laura, feeling intrigued by the words of the woman beside her. 

 

"Every time she looks at you, her eyes change. When she looks at almost anyone else, even though she puts on this apathetic air, her gaze still shows that she’s a good person. When she looks at your father or me, her eyes fill with something familiar that I can’t put into words.”

 

“But when she looks at you, Laura? It’s as if everyone else has disappeared and all she sees is you as if there was no one else in this world worthy of her attention. Then her eyes are filled with those feelings that she has kept for so long inside her, of all the love and admiration that she feels only for you. Those walls she built up collapse as soon as she lays her eyes on you.”

 

“That gaze reminds me so much of the way your father looked at your mother. That look, my dear Laura, is nothing other than the purest love!" said Lilita, patting her arm excitedly.

 

Laura wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t noticed how occasionally Carmilla let her mask slip to show the warm-hearted person inside. When that happened, it was almost as if her gaze wrapped you up in a comforting hug. She also knew that she had a troubled past and the hardness and apathy Carmilla affected, disguised someone who empathized deeply with others. She had already shown that during their visit to Ms. Jordan.

 

Laura also recognized the strict moral code Carmilla imposed on herself; it pained her to ‘lie’ to other people, and she could be quite blunt about expressing that. But it was all because she didn’t want to deceive them. And despite years of suffering, which Laura could only guess at because Carmilla hadn’t chosen to share it with anyone, her soul had been left untouched by the evils of this world. Somehow, she had continued to maintain a purity of spirit that was rare these days.

 

The very idea that someone like Carmilla would look at her in the way that Lilith insisted she did, made Laura’s heart race rapidly in her chest.  Not just because someone thought she was worthy of such devotion, but that it was Carmilla who felt that way. 

 

Lost in thought, Laura smiled without even realizing it. 

 

"I can't wait for the wedding," said Lilith, bringing her back to reality.

 

That’s when she remembered that Carmilla and she were just playing a role and Laura felt a little sick when she forced herself to reconsider what Lilith told her about the other girl.

 

Carmilla was just doing her job. Their relationship wasn’t real, and they weren’t really in love.

 

"So, I have your approval to marry her?" asked Laura, trying to bury her disappointment and any feelings she didn’t want to acknowledge about Carmilla.

 

"Approval? You have my blessing!" replied Lilith with a broad smile. 

 

"Is it my imagination or do you already prefer Carmilla to me, Grandma? If it weren't for the fact that she’s my fiancée, I’d be a little jealous,” she replied teasingly.

 

"I love both my granddaughters. I love my family and Carmilla is family," said Lilith firmly. 

 

Laura couldn’t deny how good it felt to hear that. It had only taken a day for Carmilla to gain the love of this sweet woman.

 

It wasn’t that surprising in retrospect as she had already done the same within their own little family. Maybe she found Laf a pain in the ass a lot of the time, and Dean’s fussiness drove her crazy. She spent a lot of her time trading sarcastic comments with T.A, and most of her insulting remarks to Zeta just went over his head. As for Bookworm, she spent a lot of time bullying him as she found his pedantic ways infuriating. But thanks to all the hard work she had put into preparing for her role over the last few days, she had also gained their respect and acceptance.

 

She had been with them less than a week but had fitted in so well that it was like she had always been there.

 

Carmilla had become family. Even more than that, Carmilla had become just like home. 

 

Behind them, Sherman and Carmilla strolled between the rows of vines. He hadn’t stopped talking about the vineyard and various strains of grapes he wanted to try out, most of which Carmilla hadn’t heard of. She was no longer surprised at how many letters he managed to write over the years. It seemed the man couldn’t avoid talking any more than he could avoid writing.

 

Even so, the sight of Laura walking ahead of her with Lilith was very distracting.

 

"… Family." 

 

"What?" she replied when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

 

"I was wondering where your own family is." 

 

"I don't know. My mother threw me out a long time ago when she found out that I was a lesbian. I've been drifting through life on my own ever since."

 

“But perhaps after all this time, you’ve finally found your destiny?”

 

"I don't know yet. I’m starting to wonder though if Destiny found me," she sighed, watching as Laura’s blond waves seemed to ripple in the sunlight with every step she took.

 

"I must say that both of you make a lovely couple." 

 

"Mr. Hollis… Sherman; you know better than anyone else here that this is all an act. We’re just doing our job. Nothing more,” she said with a mixture of annoyance and disappointment in her tone.

 

"I know, I know," he replied, holding his hands up in surrender.

 

But of course, Sherman Hollis would not let the matter rest. 

 

"But I still can’t help thinking how wonderful this would be if it were true. That Laura has returned to us and she’d brought someone home who loved her the way Carmilla did, that our family had never been broken up and that someone like you became part of our family. Won’t you at least admit how wonderful that sounds?" 

 

She nodded hesitantly, not knowing how to respond. 

 

She couldn’t help thinking that he had a point. Being part of such a loving family would be wonderful. She could almost see herself having breakfast every morning with the three of them, then walking through the fields with Sherman all day to discuss that year’s harvest and return home in the evening to be welcomed by Laura and Lilith as they finished off a whole day’s baking. 

 

She watched as Laura whispered something in Lilith’s ear, giggling the whole time. She couldn’t help smiling at the scene, especially when she recalled the girl’s words from the night before.

 

In a way, Laura had become family to her. Even more than that, Laura had become just like home. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Gran! 
> 
> Oh, snarky Carm!
> 
> Oh, oblivious Laura!
> 
> See you next Friday ;)


	10. Je Vais T'aimer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Laura wrote a lot about how beautiful your singing voice is and how you conquered her heart with this song. It seems only fair that we get to hear you too," Lilith said with a big smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favourite chapter. Period. 
> 
> Hahaha Enjoy. 
> 
>  
> 
> xoxo
> 
> Mckie

 

 

The following days were not so different. Carmilla had begun to get used to sleeping on the floor. In fact, it was kind of cozy and certainly much more comfortable than a lot of other places when she had to spend the night on the streets. 

Laura, on her part, began to feel increasingly comfortable with Carmilla’s jokes and teasing and above all, the more frequent physical contact between them. Holding hands and even interlacing their fingers were a recurrent thing and kisses on the cheeks or on the forehead appeared to be the Carmilla’s particular favorite. It was almost as if she was looking for any excuse to touch her. Laura soon realized that instead of playing along or rejecting these as she did at the beginning of this job, that she even welcomed them when they occurred.

Besides she would only be fooling herself if she denied enjoying those kisses that Carmilla would steal when they were in Lilith’s company. 

It was more than just the technique although that helped a lot. It was as if when their lips joined that there was something unspoken between them, something more than Carmilla acting in front of Lilith. It was as if with each small movement of her lips and tongue she was trying to express something that she felt, but couldn’t put into words.

Sherman was almost beside himself with happiness and sometimes allowed himself to forget that it was all an act. When he observed Laura and Carmilla in action, he felt that there was an increasing chemistry and naturalness between them. It was almost as if they had known each other for years; every casual, flirty comment and every little touch seemed so familiar. Every caress so natural as if their bodies knew each other in a thousand different ways and every smile they shared seemed to give life to the other. 

Lilith was the happiest of all, utterly unaware of what was happening around her. 

The visit of her granddaughter and her fiancée had given her new life. It was almost as if the mere presence of Laura had rejuvenated her; she walked straighter now and without the aches and pains of old age. She hadn’t suffered from her normal weariness for the last three days.

Every afternoon, the four of them would walk through the vineyards, Sherman carefully explaining what each variety was and what it would be used for, while Laura and Lilith would share stories and reminisces that Laura had memorized and which she knew would make Lilith laugh. 

After dinner on the fourth day, Lilith had asked William to serve one of her special bottles of cava in the living room. 

"I hope you enjoyed that particular vintage, Carmilla," said Lilith when the bottle was nearly finished. 

"I'm no wine expert, but it tasted wonderful, Gran." 

"I’m so glad! It is one of the last bottles that I have left from Sherman and Eileen’s wedding, and I hope to serve it at your wedding also. That is if I survive that long," she replied before taking another sip of her drink. 

"Grandma!" said Laura, not liking the direction the conversation was taking. 

"Oh, Grandma nothing, Laur!” chided Lilith. “Neither you nor Carmilla are getting any younger; and Sherman isn’t either. Anyway, we’re not talking about me. I can’t believe you haven’t even set a date." 

"Believe me, Gran, if it were up to me, Laura and I would already be married and have a couple of daughters," replied Carmilla, leaving Sherman and Laura dumbstruck at the apparent sincerity of their words. 

Carmilla, however, didn’t seem to realize the implication of what she said until she looked up from her wine and saw Laura staring at her in shock.

"Well, that is…" 

"No, no, I understand. I know that Laura often overthinks things. She’s been like that since she was a little girl," replied Lilith, waving her hand dismissively.

"Excuse me, Grandma, but it hasn’t been just me. Carmilla has been quite busy with classes at the university, and I’m busy too with my own work. Neither of us has been able to find the time to sit down and talk about it." 

"Laura, we have been talking all these days. Are you really going to tell me that you and your fiancée have not been able to take five minutes to settle on a date for your wedding?" 

"Grandma, it’s not as easy as it seems. There’s a lot to organize and a lot of details to take into account if we want the wedding to go to plan.” 

"You're from Ottawa I believe, Carmilla?" said Sherman trying to deflect the conversation that could potentially end in a row between Laura and his mother-in-law.

"Uhm, yes. Although it’s been a while since I lived there." 

"Why?" asked Lilith curiously, suddenly turning her attention to Carmilla.

"It’s hard to say," replied Carmilla, glancing nervously at Laura. None of Sherman’s letters had mentioned anything about it. 

"Grandma, Carm doesn’t like to talk about it." 

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to sound nosy. But now that Sherman has mentioned it, I don’t remember you mentioning Carmilla’s family, and I was wondering when we’d get to meet them." 

Laura could see Carmilla shift uncomfortably in her seat. Naturally, it was a sore subject for her, and it would have been a lot easier if Sherman had covered this in his letters or at least established some sort of family history that didn’t remind Carmilla of her own. If only she had the power to create a happy past for her, Laura thought. 

"Grandma…" 

"It’s okay, Laura. Gran, I haven’t returned there because I have no reason to do so. I have no family because my mother threw me out when she caught me with another girl," she replied calmly.

"Oh, my God! But who would do that to her own daughter!" cried Lilith approaching Carmilla from her chair to take her hands in her own. 

Carmilla could see the sadness in the old woman’s eyes, but it didn’t make her uncomfortable. Lilith was genuinely broken-hearted when she heard it. And strange as it seemed to her, as she looked at the three people in the room, she felt comforted for the first time in her life, rather than pitied as other people usually made her feel.

She gave Lilith a small smile as she continued to hold her hands. 

"And your father?" asked Lilith gently, as if afraid her words alone would hurt her. Carmilla silently blessed her for her concern. 

"My father died when I was very young," replied Carmilla, looking at the floor

This was the first time that Laura heard about it. Without a second thought, she threw an arm around Carmilla’s shoulder and taking Carmilla’s chin in her other hand, she kissed her gently on the lips. It was only a brief kiss, but the simple act made Carmilla look at her in such adoration that for a moment they forgot all about Sherman and Lilith.  Carmilla was lost in Laura’s eyes and Laura couldn’t look away from Carmilla’s dark brown ones, even if she had wanted to.

"It is a real shame, Carmilla; but now you have Laura, and to us, you’re family." concludes the grandmother squeezing her hands in hers. 

Carmilla felt a slight pang at those words. None of it was true, Laura didn’t love her that way, and she had no future with her. She had no family because in a couple of days she would leave this house forever and her relationship with the woman beside her was going to be as distant as before. 

 

_ You've been alone most of your life, nothing will have changed _ she repeated to herself to force the broodiness down. But deep down, she knew nothing would ever be the same. 

"Well, well, enough of this old woman’s sentimental ramblings,” said Lilith with a catch in her voice. ‘Why don’t we enjoy a little music instead?” she said, struggling to her feet and walking over to an old record player. 

Carmilla sighed but nodded her head while Laura released the hug to take her hand in hers. She was confused how these things seem to come naturally to Laura, and Carmilla warned herself not to fall for the act that the blonde was putting on for Lilith’s benefit.

Lilith placed a vinyl record carefully on the turntable, switched it on and carefully positioned the needle on it. The soft harmony of a guitar began to play, and the old woman turned immediately to look pleadingly at Carmilla. 

"Laura wrote a lot about how beautiful your singing voice is and how you conquered her heart with this song. It seems only fair that we get to hear you too," Lilith said with a big smile.

As soon as everyone else heard the lyrics, they realized they were in a language that none of them spoke. French. 

Carmilla looked nervously at Laura, not knowing what to do. 

"Grandma, I don’t believe that now is the right time to ask Carmilla to sing,” said Laura. 

"Nonsense! Music is always a relief to the soul. Besides, it’s been years since I’ve used my French, and as you have pointed out in your letters, Carmilla speaks French like a native, so I don’t think she’ll have any problem with a simple song." 

Carmilla tried to swallow the thick knot in her throat. 

"Yes, I haven’t the slightest doubt I mentioned Carmilla and her fluency in French in all my letters,” muttered Laura as she glared at Sherman who at least had the grace to look guilty.

 

"Please humour this old woman, Carmilla," said Lilith, pouting sadly. 

Carmilla swore that Laura used that same look every time she tried to steal a cupcake from Lilith when she told her that she’d probably had enough sweet things for the day. She was amazed that even without sharing a drop of blood between them, how alike they could be. 

"Of course, I will, Gran," she sighed as she got up from the couch to stand beside Lilith.

Lilith positioned the stylus back at the beginning, and the song began again.

_ A faire pâlir tous les Marquis de Sade  _

_ A faire rougir les putains de la rade  _

_ A faire crier grâce à tous les échos  _

_ A faire trembler les murs de Jéricho  _

_ Je vais t'aimer  _

Laura was trembling as she wrung her fingers in her lap while watching Carmilla nervously. At first, she could only hear Lilith’s voice as the old woman smiled encouragingly at the other girl who was barely opening her mouth as she repeated parts of the lyrics that Lilith was singing. 

_ A faire flamber des enfers dans tes yeux _

_ A faire jurer tous les tonnerres de Dieu _

_ A faire dresser tes seins et tous les Saints _

_ A faire prier et supplier nos mains _

_ Je vais t'aimer _

Carmilla tried to avoid everyone’s eyes while Lilith continued to enjoy the music. She couldn’t bear the old woman’s simple happiness when it was all based on a lie. 

Lilith placed a hand on the Carmilla’s back and with her other hand gestured at her to raise her voice.

Taking a deep breath, Carmilla shyly raised her voice when the chorus began to play. 

_ Je vais t'aimer _

_ Comme on ne t'a jamais aimée _

_ Je vais t'aimer _

_ Plus loin que tes rêves ont imaginé _

_ Je vais t'aimer je vais t’aimer _

 

Laura’s nervousness suddenly evaporated as soon as she heard Carmilla sing. She had grudgingly admitted to herself that the husky tone Carmilla’s voice held when she woke up first thing in the morning was one of her favorite things and made her shiver pleasantly whenever she was blessed to catch it. But the sweetness of Carmilla’s voice as she grew more confident in her singing made her skin tingle in a wholly different way.

_ Je vais t'aimer _

_ Comme personne n'a osé t'aimer _

_ Je vais t'aimer _

_ Comme j'aurais tellement aimé être aimé _

_ Je vais t'aimer je vais t'aimer _

Laura couldn’t even fathom how Carmilla managed to match her pronunciation with the words of the woman singing on the record. It wasn’t quite perfect nor did the literal meaning of the lyrics matter to her; all she cared about was the beautiful voice singing them.

She couldn’t lie to herself anymore, the attraction she felt toward Carmilla was overwhelming. All she wanted to do was leap up from the couch, take Carmilla’s face in her hands, kiss her senseless and show her exactly what she thought of her, but didn’t dare to say out loud. 

_ A faire vieillir à faire blanchir la nuit _

_ A faire brûler la lumière jusqu'au jour _

_ A la passion et jusqu'a la folie _

_ Je vais t'aimer je vais t'aimer d'amour _

Carmilla closed her eyes as she let the music guide her and the lyrics flowed naturally from her lips. At least until the last sentence when the words  _ Je vais t'aimer d'amour  _ somehow made sense to her. Then she opened her eyes again and locked her eyes on Laura as the expression rolled off her tongue. 

_ A faire cerner à faire fermer nos yeux _

_ A faire souffrir à faire mourir nos corps _

_ A faire voler nos âmes aux septièmes cieux _

_ A se croire morts et faire l'amour encore _

_ Je vais t'aimer _

Lilith hooked her arm with Carmilla’s smiling all the time. Carmilla couldn’t help but smile back at the woman’s infectious joy and allowed the woman to retake the lead as she accompanied her in the song. 

Laura’s breath was taken away, and her heart was racing; she couldn’t take her eyes off the girl in front of her if her life depended on it. Her mouth was dry, and she couldn’t swallow past the lump in her throat. She felt as if she was going to explode if her hands couldn’t reach out and touch Carmilla.

 

Her Carmilla.

_ Je vais t'aimer  _

_ Comme on ne t'a jamais aimee  _

_ Je vais t'aimer  _

_ Plus loin that tes rêves ont imagine  _

_ Je vais t'aimer _

_ Je vais t'aimer  _

Carmilla continued gazing at Laura, not realizing that the woman in front of her felt the same desire to touch her, to kiss her properly with no lies, no stories behind them, no roles to play and no scripts to follow. She wanted to show her all the love that made her feel as if her heart had sprouted wings and soared. 

_ Love?  _ she thought doubtfully for a moment. A doubt that was quickly dispelled when Laura smiled at her, a smile that was for her alone.

 

Yes, love. 

She felt her eyes moisten and her voice broke a little at the sudden lump in her throat. As for Laura, the tears were already running down her cheeks, and she made no effort to wipe them away.

_ Je vais t'aimer  _

_ Comme personne n'a sbi t'aimer  _

_ Je vais t'aimer  _

_ Comme j'aurais tellement aime être aimé  _

_ Je vais t'aimer _

_ Je vais t'aimer  _

When Carmilla finished the last verse, Laura jumped up immediately from the sofa, and a stunned Lilith was barely able to release Carmilla’s arm in time before Laura enveloped Carmilla in a tight hug. An equally amazed Carmilla wrapped her arms tightly around the little blonde’s waist and buried her face in Laura’s neck. Her senses were almost overwhelmed as she inhaled Laura’s scent. Her Laura. 

Laura ran her fingers through that silky hair she had been longing to touch and caressed Carmilla’s neck tenderly. Her reward was a gentle, almost purring sound against her neck that made her skin tingle. The effect she had on Carmilla made her smile, especially when she held her a little tighter and relaxed into the hug.

She was still stroking the back of her neck and playing with her hair between her fingertips when Carmilla pulled away slightly and slowly lifted Laura’s chin, bringing them even closer together.

The kiss that followed was gentle and soft but full of the emotions and feelings each woman had held back. Time seemed to stand still around them, and they were blind to their surroundings. 

The all too human need to breath forced them to separate, but they still rested their foreheads together although neither was brave enough to open their eyes just yet. 

It was a sudden burst of applause that startled them back to reality. 

Carmilla was the first one to open her eyes and was enraptured with the woman she held. Laura looked so vulnerable, so pure, so angelic, almost unattainable and yet Carmilla still held her in her arms. She felt like she was holding a star, something far away and almost ethereal, yet still so real. 

"How right you were, Laur! I have never heard anything like Carmilla’s voice, and there’s no way you couldn’t have fallen in love with her after hearing that song," said Lilith who was still applauding, even with Sherman’s arm around her shoulder.

"Excellent! Magnificent! Sublime! And the sheer feeling you put into that song was outstanding!" exclaimed Sherman. 

Laura turned to see Lilith and Sherman smiling at both of them. Carmilla still hadn’t moved her arms from her waist and Laura happily leaned against her as Carmilla rested her chin on her shoulder. She reached for Carmilla’s hand and interlaced their fingers, holding it affectionately between them.

"It’s no problem when I have Cupcake in front of me," said Carmilla.

 

She didn’t realize her slip until Laura tensed against her.

"Cupcake?" asked Lilith, curiously 

"Carm! I thought we agreed to leave the pet names for intimate moments, Kitten," replied Laura, booping her on the nose. Relieved at Laura’s quick thinking, Carmilla rewarded her with a peck on the cheek. 

But the use of her team name filled Carmilla with hope. Hope that just maybe, Laura felt the same way about her and that she wasn’t just playing a role.

 

 

 

 


	11. Truth and Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Gran, I don't know…" 
> 
>  
> 
> "Don’t lie to me, Carmilla. Tell me now!"

 

 

 

 

"Grandma seemed really happy tonight, don’t you think?" said Laura while brushing her teeth at the bathroom sink. 

Carmilla was sitting on the window seat watching the sunset over the vineyard. She was distracted by how different  the stars looked and how they seemed more beautiful away from the city lights.

"Carmilla?" said Laura trying again when she didn’t respond.

"Huh?" said Carmilla turning to look at the blond. 

"The grandmother, she looked quite happy,” said Laura, sticking her head around the bathroom door, toothbrush still stuck in her mouth. 

"Yes, really happy," murmured Carmilla.

There was an air of sadness and disappointment about her. She was looking straight at Laura, but her mind was obviously elsewhere. 

"I still can't believe you succeeded in fooling her with the song." 

"That’s because I didn’t," mumbled Carmilla. 

"But you speak French? How come I didn’t know that?!"  asked Laura as she finally left the bathroom.

"I don't. I didn't know what I was doing at the beginning, but after listening to part of the melody, I remembered my own mother in the kitchen cleaning the dishes, while my father sang her that very song to apologize for having missed dinner. When she heard me listening to it on vinyl one night after my father died, she took it from the player and smashed it in front of me.” 

The memory of that obviously still left a bitter taste in Carmilla’s mouth. Laura had an almost overwhelming urge to hug and comfort her. But she didn’t know if she’d accept that or if it would just annoy Carmilla. She settled for sitting on the edge of the bed while watching Carmilla gaze wistfully at the night sky.

"How do you do it?" asked Carmilla, after a few minutes

"What do you mean?" 

"Lying. How can you stand it? There are times I can’t look that woman in the eye or even Sherman sometimes. Even though he knows the truth, there are times when I feel that he refuses to accept it or how painful it is for him to talk about things that never happened and never will.”

 

Laura fiddled with the hem of the pillow in her lap while she considered her response. 

"How many times must I tell you that we don't see that as a lie? It doesn’t feel that way when you know that you are doing something good for someone else," she replied while shrugging the shoulders. 

Laura felt it was best not to say that it didn’t feel like a lie whenever Carmilla took her by the hand and gave her one of those sincere smiles that she didn’t give anyone else. Nor when she kissed her, however much friction there may be between them.

"I still think that no matter what the objective is, a lie is a lie," replied Carmilla, pulling her knees up to her chest. 

Laura regarded her carefully. Carmilla had never looked so vulnerable before, and in some ways, she was still that little girl that was devastated by the loss of her father when she was very young. It reminded her of the first night Carmilla had stayed in the house, sheepishly admitting that she had no more than what was in her backpack. Yet even then, she had a determined air about her, that hid the real insecurity within.

 

But now she was here alone with Laura, sharing a fragment of her past, her fears of harming Lilita and even her own feelings. She felt privileged to witness this, to be the one that Carmilla felt confident about sharing these things with after so many years.

"I never knew my parents. Mr. Vordenberg owned the orphanage where I lived all my childhood. When I was a child, my dreams were the only thing that gave me hope during those years. I dreamed that one day my parents regretted leaving me there and came back for me. But in the dream, I always forgave them because, at the end of the day, we would be together again. After a few years, I finally let go of that idea, but I dreamed instead that some other family might love me, that a couple would come for me and lead me to a large house where I would finally have a home. I imagined when I went to bed, they’d tuck me in, kiss me on the forehead and wish me sweet dreams. Just like what happened to my best friend, Mattie.”

Laura could feel the lump in her throat grow larger as she shared her story. Carmilla stared at her as if she didn’t want to miss a single word, as if she wanted to remember everything about that moment.

"After that, I dreamed about someone else; someone that I would fall deeply in love with and them with me. That our love would hold fast against any obstacle that life threw at us and that each was the axis that the other's world would turn on. Just being together, knowing that we had each other, no matter what. " 

"None of those dreams became a reality,” continued Laura with a sigh. “But to make someone smile and turn their bad day into a good one; to give them hope or even change the dreamer's lives has given my own life meaning. To help them live their dreams has become my dream and I’ve never regretted that.”

 

"So, would you have preferred that someone lied if they said they loved you," said Carmilla, after giving this some thought. 

"I would have preferred it to be true. But these last few days, being Laura, being here with you… with Carmilla, have made me feel it," she replied, getting up from the bed to join Carmilla by the window. She shifted slightly to let her sit beside her. 

"I guess it is a nice story, don’t you think?" said Carmilla with a small sigh as she placed her hand on Laura’s knee without realizing it. 

Laura, on the other hand, was totally aware of it and how it made her feel as her heart fluttered at the contact. 

"It is. It is a beautiful story," said Laura hesitantly, trying to ignore the warm feeling within her that Carmilla seemed utterly oblivious to. 

"Well, thankfully we only have a few more days of this before we can leave," replied Carmilla as she absently removed her hand to push her hair back. 

Laura nodded slowly, trying to conceal the slight pang she felt that the idea of leaving the estate, Sherman, and Lilith.  But part of her hurt even more because when they left, they’d just go back to being two people that worked and shared a house together. 

Nothing of they have experienced lately has been true, nothing of what has been said or promised. 

"Yeah, just two more days Carm." 

Carmilla nodded and rose from the seat, extending her hand to Laura to help her stand. 

Laura tried to make herself comfortable in bed as Carmilla went to the bathroom to change her own clothes. After tossing and turning several times, she lay there staring at the ceiling. 

 

The one thought running through her head was how she wanted the next two days to go as slowly as possible.

A few minutes later, when she heard the bathroom door open, she turned to her side and pretended to be asleep. Carmilla switched off the light and stepped carefully around the bed. As Laura opened her eyes a fraction, she noticed Carmilla was standing by the bed gazing down at her in a thoughtful manner. This puzzled Laura, but she was afraid to open her eyes fully in case the other girl caught her. She was worried that once she did, Carmilla would figure out everything she couldn’t put into words and that scared her. Laura didn’t dare breath or give any sign that she might be awake.

She felt her heart racing as Carmilla leaned down and pressed her lips against her forehead.

 

“Sweet dreams, Cupcake,” she said, sighing.

 

She backed away and lay down on the blanket beside the bed, swallowed up by the darkness. A solitary tear rolled down Laura’s cheek as she began to breathe again.  

 

As Carmilla lay on the floor, she wondered how she was going to get through their remaining time with Lilith and Sherman. She wondered if she’d ever forget the experience of having a ‘family’ that accepted her. But above all, she wondered if she’d forget the way that Laura's hand would slip discreetly and silently into hers to calm her nerves or comfort her. Or if she could ignore those sappy feelings she got whenever Laura looked at her with that beaming, enthusiastic smile. 

 

Or go back to that house and carry on as if nothing had happened after feeling those soft lips on hers... 

From her position on the floor, Carmilla turned on her side to see Laura moving in bed, trying to make herself more comfortable.  She clenched her eyes tightly shut in case Laura was awake and saw the tears roll down her face. She had never felt this way before, not even for Ell, her first love. But had she actually loved Ell? Because it was nothing compared to what she currently felt for Laura and that terrified her.

 

***

 

Through the kitchen window, the first hints of sunrise began to illuminate the mountains that surrounded the vineyard as the cold morning dew settled on the vines.

 

Lilith Morgan was up and walking through the kitchen as she prepared two mugs for the girls. Black coffee without sugar for Carmilla and hot chocolate with marshmallows for Laura, along with a couple of slices of toast with grape jelly, which were already laid out on a breakfast tray. 

"The juice is ready, Ms. Morgan, " said William, bringing in a crystal decanter and two matching glasses.

"Perfect, the finishing touch. No healthier way to start the day than with a glass of freshly squeezed grape juice straight from the vine," replied Lilith, adding it to the tray. 

"Do you require assistance, Ms. Morgan?" 

"Nonsense, my dear William! These are just a couple of things, and they weigh nothing. Don't make me feel older than I am, " Lilith replied with a smile that had a hint of challenge in it. She picked up the tray gingerly and made her way upstairs to Laura and Carmilla’s bedroom.

William nodded politely as she passed, but still hung around at a discreet distance just in case.

When she reached the second floor, Lilith waited for a few seconds outside their bedroom trying to hear if they were awake. But there was no sound, so she assumed that they were still sleeping. The only thing she hoped for now, was that her granddaughters (and she did consider Carmilla a granddaughter at this point) had been discreet about any of their night time ‘activities’ or failing that, that they were at least dressed.

She chuckled a little at the shocked face Sherman would have if he were in her shoes.

She signaled to William to open the door carefully. She was still looking forward to surprising them, but the surprise was on her when she saw what was in the room.

Laura was sleeping on one side of the bed hugging a pillow while Carmilla was curled up on the floor, on a couple of sheets next to the bed. Both women had their backs to each other, and Lilith barely restrained herself from marching into the room to see what was going on. With a sharp gesture to William, she withdrew as he closed the door softly behind her.

 

***

At that moment, Laura frowned and sat up in bed, staring blearily at the bedroom door. She had been sure that she heard it open, but it was still shut from last night. She rolled over to the other side of the bed and looked down at Carmilla.

 

Judging by the fetal position she was in and the way she shivered slightly, she was cold again. It had been that way since the first night, but Carmilla’s stubborn denials made Laura afraid to raise it again. She knew that Carmilla didn’t want to be a bother or make anyone suspicious by taking a spare sheet for the cold mornings. 

Walking on the balls of her feet, Laura took the blanket off of the bed and laid it carefully on her.

Breakfast was the same as every morning, Once again, William and Lilith had prepared a feast fit for royalty.

They had just begun eating when William entered the room. 

"Miss Laura, you have a call from New York," he announced ceremoniously. 

"Thank you, William, and I already told you a thousand times that you can call me Laura," replied Laura with a smile as she wiped the corner of her mouth with the cloth napkin before putting it on the table and leaving to take the call. 

Carmilla looked up and noticed the suspicious gaze on Lilith’s face as she followed Laura with her eyes.

"Carmilla, I’d be delighted if you could accompany me to the winery to see the barrelling and bottling process. I have also had a meeting with a few new investors who I'd like you to meet," said Sherman, smiling as he reached for some jam for his toast.

"Of course, Sherman," she replied as she continued watching Lilith, who was in turn keeping a close eye on Laura in the hallway.

"Not this morning, Sherman," replied Lilith suddenly, taking a sip of wine without removing her gaze from the blond. 

"Oh. And why is that?" asked Sherman, as he continued eating his breakfast. 

"I think it would better if you took Laura. She didn’t get involved when she was a little girl, and it’s only right that she starts now. After all, this will be all hers someday,” she said firmly in a tone that brooked no argument. 

Sherman knew that tone well. He smiled apologetically at Carmilla. 

Laura returned to the kitchen looking disappointed. 

"Everything okay?" asked Carmilla as soon as she sat beside her. 

"It was work. It seems that we’ll have to leave tomorrow as there’s a problem with one of the hosts at the station and I have to replace them,” she replied, catching Sherman’s eye. He looked away, suddenly finding his breakfast more interesting.

"So soon?" demanded Lilith, suddenly. She looked on the verge of saying something else but remained silent.

After last night, Carmilla also sensed how torn Laura was between what she should do and trying to avoid disappointing Lilith. She took Laura’s hand in her own and squeezed it to let her know that she was there for her.

"I'm sorry, Grandma. It’s part of my job," said Laura, squeezing Carmilla’s hand back. 

All of a sudden, Sherman seemed to have lost his appetite. He wasn’t the only one. 

 

Breakfast ended in silence. 

 

***

Sherman’s library was far better than the one the team had back home. But Carmilla didn’t actually consider it her home. She believed that her home wasn’t something of bricks of mortar, but a person.  The same person who left the house with Sherman to visit the winery a few hours ago. 

 

It may have only been a few hours, but Carmilla already missed her. 

"I am sorry to interrupt your reading, Carmilla, but we need to talk," said Lilith, sitting on the couch beside her. 

"Anything for you, Gran. What do you need?" she replied, placing the book to one side. The one she hadn’t the heart to read since she had picked from it from the shelf.

"I need you to tell me the truth," said Lilith, looking more serious than Carmilla had ever seen her. 

She began to get worried, wondering if Lilith had sensed the little moments of hesitation when she had lied to her. Or was the stiffness in her body or the way she used to freeze when Laura touched her, she wondered? Or had she screwed up in some other way?  Maybe she just wasn’t cut out for all this lying and for the first time in her life, Carmilla wished that she could do it as well as other people did. She was never going to be as good as Laura, who at times, made her forget that this was all an act. 

"Of course, Gran," said Carmilla, trying to disguise her nerves. 

"Look me in the eyes, Granddaughter," said Lilith, taking Carmilla’s face in her hands, so that she had no choice but to do so. Not that she could have looked away if she tried. 

Carmilla, despite her fear, felt that the gesture was still affectionate and that, coupled with the fact that Lilith called her ‘Granddaughter’ helped ease her concern slightly. 

"What’s going on with Laura and you? There’s is something you’re not telling me, and I want to know what it is. Now.”

"Gran, I don't know…" 

"Don’t lie to me, Carmilla. Tell me now!" 

"It's not what you think, Gran. Laura and I just…" Carmilla started. But she didn’t know how to continue. How could she justify what they had done to this woman? She didn’t deserve that.

"You all want me to be happy? Isn’t that it?” 

"That’s all we want, Gran." 

"And you thought that lies would make me happy?" 

Carmilla was speechless. Anything she said now would only break the woman’s heart.

"You and Laura had a fight last night, didn’t you? Don’t deny it!" 

 

_ Wait. What? _

"Did Laura say something?" said Carmilla, feeling slightly confused. 

"She didn’t have to. This morning I entered your bedroom with the intention of surprising you both with breakfast in bed. Are you having problems in your relationship? Is that why you were sleeping on the floor last night? Is that why you have not yet set a date for the wedding? Are you calling it off?" 

 

Lilith’s questions came thick and fast, and Carmilla could barely keep up. But on the other hand, at least her soul had returned to her body. More or less. At least now, she knew how to fix this. 

"There’s no problem between us, Gran. It was just a minor disagreement that all couples have. But you know as well as I do how stubborn Laura is, and she made me sleep on the floor last night. But we sorted it out this morning before breakfast, and everything is back to normal," said Carmilla, trying to sound confident. 

"Are you sure that’s all it was?" 

"Of course, Gran," she replied, as she looked away slightly. She was disgusted at herself for such a blatant lie. 

The woman took Carmilla’s hands between hers. 

"Is she still the woman you want to marry?" 

"She’s the only one I want to marry, Gran." 

"Can you swear that you love Laura?" 

"With all my being. I have loved no one else and never shall," she replied emphatically. And this time she did not look away. 

"You're happy together, and you are going to keep her happy?" 

"With all my heart and for the rest of my life, Gran. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for Laura. How can I not be happy when she’s everything I never knew I needed? How could I not be happy at her side when the only thing she has shown me is how to achieve my own happiness and the happiness of others? How can I not wake up next to her every morning and fall beside her each night if only seeing her makes my heart soar? If it’s Laura, how can I not love her?”

Lilith took Carmilla's face between her hands and kissed her on the forehead. Her eyes were full of happy tears, and Carmilla was on the verge of joining her. 

"What’s going on here, Grandma? Have you decided to officially adopt Carmilla, and replace me with her?" 

The two women were so caught up in the moment that they didn’t notice Laura and Sherman had returned and were watching them with puzzled expressions. 

"I already told you that Carmilla is my other granddaughter," said Lilith wiping the tears from her face with a smile, as Laura joined them on the couch. 

Lilith took Laura by the hand and joined Carmilla’s hand with it, holding them firmly in hers. 

"And what is this all about?" said Laura, giggling nervously. 

"Nothing, nothing. Carmilla and I we were just talking about the wedding, and I have had the most wonderful idea." 

Sherman, Laura, and Carmilla looked at each other. No one seemed to know what Lilith was talking about. 

"Ooookay. And would you like to share your idea, Grandma?" said Laura teasingly, while squeezing Carmilla’s hand to reassure her. 

"Seeing as Carmilla has no family and considering that both of you are here now, you should get married as soon as possible. Tomorrow. Before you leave.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, my whuuut!!???


	12. Tell her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You must tell her. Sometimes we forget to tell the ones we love or those who have a special place in our hearts exactly what they really mean to us. We take it for granted that they know how much we love them. I believe that all of these nerves and doubts you have about the wedding will dissipate when you tell her," said Lilith, smiling softly at her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It would have been possible to hear a pin drop in the room. Everyone was struck dumb at Lilith’s suggestion. 

At least until Laura found her voice. 

"What!" 

Lilith rolled her eyes at her granddaughter, and for a moment Laura wondered had she picked that up from Carmilla. 

"It's straightforward, Laur. We are your family and Carmilla’s too. You have been engaged for years. I'm too old to travel to America to attend your wedding, and both of you are taking so long that I’ll probably be dead by the time you settle on a date."

"But Grandma, a wedding is too much work. You can’t possibly plan something like that in one day!" said Laura getting up and pacing the room. 

"I'm sure that between William and I, we can organize something suitable for the house. Also, I have already given instructions this morning to get everything necessary for the wedding banquet and the cake; invitations won’t be required if it’s just us. I have also spoken this morning with Mr. Colantoni, your father's tailor.  He assured me that he’s prepared to have his staff work all day and through the night if necessary to have a suit ready for Carmilla by tomorrow.”

"Grandma, you forget the most important thing. We need someone to officiate the wedding, and no one’s going to do that with such short notice." 

 

Laura tried to remain calm, but she was on the verge of panic. Nothing she had ever done had prepared her for something like this.

"I'm sure when Sherman speaks with the Mayor, he’ll organize a judge in no time to officiate the ceremony. He owes us for supplying all the wine for his official functions,” replied Lilith waving that objection aside. 

Laura paused on the other side of the room; she knew she was forgetting something. When she turned and saw Carmilla sitting beside Lilith, it dawned on her that she hadn’t uttered a word of protest.

She wasn’t against the idea of marrying Carmilla. Quite the contrary, the mere thought of calling Carmilla her wife was almost pushing aside every other instinct that screamed that this was a terrible idea. She was having trouble thinking straight; a relationship with Carmilla was her fondest desire, but not like this. Not based on the lies they had already told Lilith.

Marriage was a step too far for Laura. It was a sacred trust between two people and not something she took lightly. Even a false wedding had to be taken seriously, and she knew she could go through one if she was prepared. 

 

Just not to Carmilla, if she was the one waiting at the altar. She couldn’t do that to her. Carmilla deserved better.

She tried to catch her eye, but Carmilla was staring at the carpet, lost in thought.  She was rooted to the spot.

"Lilith, please; you can't put that sort of pressure on the girls," pleaded Sherman and Laura gave him a look of gratitude for his intervention. 

"Nonsense, Sherman. They’ve already made the decision to get married, I am just giving them a little push,” replied Lilith, starting to get annoyed. 

"But Lilith…" 

"But Lilith, nothing! I don’t see what the fuss is about Laura marrying Carmilla in the morning before they fly back home tomorrow to their own lives. She’s already been gone for so many years and lives so far away and who knows if I will ever see her again?”

Lilith’s voice had changed from anger to sadness. It was almost as if she knew that one or both would be so overwhelmed with guilt that they couldn’t deny her this request.

Laura’s shoulders slumped in defeat, and Lilith knew she had almost won. All she needed now was Carmilla’s acceptance, and she knew from her confession a few minutes earlier, that there was nothing she wouldn’t do for Laura.

"Carm…?" said Laura tentatively.

Laura couldn’t help feeling conflicted. There was still part of her that hoped Carmilla had thought of something to prevent this wedding. She was a genius at improvising. 

"I… Ahm…" 

"I would die a happy woman if I could attend the wedding of my only granddaughter, Carmilla," said Lilith, placing her hand on Carmilla’s arm. 

 

That was the final blow. Carmilla would feel like a monster if she denied Lilith this one thing.

"Very well, Grandma. Tomorrow, Laura and I will get married," she finally replied.

She looked directly at Laura as she said it. Carmilla sounded so earnest and sincere that it felt real to Laura and she thought she’d die of happiness.  She wanted so much to forget that they were just playing their roles and that it was real life; that she had a fiancée who wanted to marry her for the simple reason that she loved her.  

She didn’t want to consider the possibility that Carmilla had become an accomplished liar overnight. 

"We will have a wedding!" exclaimed Lilita, applauding with renewed enthusiasm. She got up from the sofa, pulling Carmilla with her and leading her over to Laura where she hugged them both.

Laura hugged Lilith back while watching Carmilla try to smile. Her brow was still furrowed in concentration and Laura felt her heart break for her. Instinctively she reached for her, something that was becoming increasingly common with them lately and squeezed the hand of a woman she only met a few short days ago and was to become her wife tomorrow. Carmilla looked at her at last and nodded slightly.

"Sherman, bring Carmilla to Mr. Colantoni first before you meet with the mayor. I will organize the flowers and arrange some things with Laura before William comes back from his errands. Then we can work on the ceremony and menu.” 

Sherman could only bow to the inevitable and beckoned Carmilla to follow him. 

After a few phone calls to the florist, Lilith led Laura up to her bedroom where the blonde sat on the bed. She had a nagging suspicion that Lilith had everything already planned to the last detail. 

"When your father married your mother, it was the happiest day of her life until she held you in her arms for the first time. Sherman was the love of her life since they were children and she knew that one day they would marry and have a beautiful family together. Even though they didn’t have any more children, you have always been living proof of their love,” said Lilith, her voice faltering at the end. 

Laura took Lilith’s wrinkled hands in hers to comfort her.

"Remember our dinner on the terrace?" said Lilith as she tried to compose herself.

Laura nodded, recalling that afternoon. 

_ After their walk that afternoon, Lilith instructed William to have dinner ready on the terrace overlooking the vineyard. She insisted there was no better view than the sun setting behind the mountains that bordered their estate and which protected it from the colder weather up north.  _

_ Laura had to pretend to be full to avoid eating any of her ‘favorite’ cupcakes with the nuts, but she still managed to steal the chocolate chips from Carmilla’s cookies who just rolled her eyes. _

_ "You're right, Grandma; that is one hell of a view!" said Carmilla, still managing to playfully slap Laura’s grabby hands when the blonde thought she was too busy admiring the way the setting sun turned the clouds a reddish-pink hue.  _

_ Carmilla thought the scrunched up faces that Laura made when she was angry were hilarious, especially where cookies were involved, and she couldn’t help giggling. At Laura’s pout, she took a piece of cake and held it to her lips. Laura beamed at her and accepted the peace offering.  _

 

_ Lilith squinted at them and sighed at how sweet they were to each other, lost in their own little world. _

 

_ "Oh, they are so adorable! Don't you think so, Sherman?" she said while watching both of them turn the same shade of pink as the sky. _

_ Sherman nodded in approval, hiding his smile behind his glass of wine.  _

_ "It's always nice to see a couple like you who’ve spent so many years together especially when you still seem to be as in love as the day you met."  _

_ "It’s just that whenever I see Laura, it’s always like the very first time, Grandma,” replied Carmilla smirking as Laura’s cheeks got even redder. _

_ "Tell me how you fell in love!" pleaded Lilith. _

_ "There is not much more to say, Gran; everything was in my letters," said Laura wishing Lilith would drop the matter.  _

_ "I do believe you have read those letters a thousand times, Lilith. You’ve told me about them so many times, it’s as if I wrote them myself," replied Sherman with a nervous laugh.  _

_ "It’s not the same, Sherman. I want to hear it from them," said Lilith, glaring at him. _

_ "I don't know if we can say that there was one day in particular…" said Laura stalling for time as she tried to remember the letters, but she was interrupted by Carmilla. _

_ "There was a fraternity party at the end of the first semester. I couldn’t stand Laura for the first few months, but I thought it might be a good idea to start over and try to mend our relationship. After all, we were sharing a room. She wore a beautiful off-the-shoulder dress with ruffles that night and had her hair braided to one side. When I saw her, she took my breath away.” _

_ Lilith smiled broadly, delighted at Carmilla’s willingness to tell the story while Laura stared open-mouthed at her. She remembered trying on that dress when Vordenberg informed them that they were the ones who had to go to Styria. _

_ "Despite how much she thought I resented her presence, I actually felt threatened by her. I never had a friend before or someone who treated me so kindly. Here was someone that was protective of me and actually cared about my well-being and, yet it terrified me. Because for the first time someone made me think that perhaps I was not alone and that I never had to be alone again."  _

_ Carmilla looks directly into Laura’s eyes as if confirming the story and seeking her permission to continue at the same time. Laura was so fascinated by the story that she almost forgot to nod.  _

_ "Her friends never mistreated me, but there was always some suspicion and resistance there. All of us spent most of the night in the living room, and I was feeling a little out of place. I doubted my absence would be noticed if I just slipped outside for a few minutes to stargaze and I have always enjoyed looking up at them. One of the balcony windows was open, and I grabbed a free bottle of …” _

_ “Champagne," said Laura, remembering that same night. _

_ The team had decided to celebrate the new mission with a small party. At some point in the night, as T.A. cornered Laura to explain yet again why she should be the one to play Carmilla’s role, the small blonde noticed Carmilla sneak one of the bottles from the table and jog up the stairs.  _

_ Surprised by Laura’s memory, Carmilla nodded and smiled.  _

_ "I climbed out the balcony window and from there, onto the porch roof. I was alone again. For a few minutes anyway, until this little dork caught my attention as she was awkwardly trying to climb down to join me.” _

 

_ Lilith laughed at Carmilla’s words as if she was well aware of her granddaughter’s clumsiness and general lack of grace.  _

_ Laura’s cheeks kept getting redder.  _

_   
_ _ "Laura was carrying two empty glasses in her hand even though I could see she was scared of walking on the roof and sat beside me. She smiled at me as I took one of the glasses and poured some out for her and then for me. We spent several more minutes on the roof looking up at the stars in silence. I know it sounds silly, but there was something cozy and comforting in having her there beside me. No words were necessary.” _

 

_ “That was the day that I knew my life was going to change forever; because I realized, I had  _ _ found _ _ a friend and I didn’t have to be alone anymore."  _

_ There was something quiet and vulnerable about her voice as she finished the story and Laura couldn’t restrain herself. She jumped up from her seat, pulled Carmilla from hers and crashed her lips against hers in a messy kiss. It stunned Carmilla for a moment before she returned Laura’s kiss with equal fervor. _

_ Lilith raised her hands to her mouth in awe at the scene unfolding before her eyes. It was impossible for them to hide how much they were in love with each other.  _

"I have seen Carmilla look at you the same way that your father used to look at my Eileen when he thought that no one else was watching. It was as if every move she made was a delight to him, and as if he was trying to memorize every little expression on her face." 

She walked over to her wardrobe and opened the door, blocking Laura’s view of the inside.

"Since that night, I knew she was the right one for you," said Lilith as a tear threatened to fall. 

She took out a long black and white dress from the wardrobe and carefully laid it out on the bed while still holding the top of it in her hands.

"This was your mother's wedding dress. Nothing would make me prouder and happier than to see you wearing it tomorrow when you marry the love of your life." 

'The love of your life' repeatedly echoed in Laura’s mind. 

"Laura, with a face like that, you’d think we were talking about your funeral instead of your wedding,” said Lilith curiously when she saw Laura’s frown.

"No, of course not; it is an excellent idea, Grandma," says Laura quickly She plastered a smile on her face, hoping Lilith would just think she was nervous.  

"Laura, I've already asked Carmilla this, but I see I have to do the same with you,” sighed Lilith, looking at her in dismay. Leaving the dress down, she came around the bed to stand in front of Laura. 

"Laura, do you still want to marry Carmilla?" 

"I… Of course, grandmother. That's not it. It is simply that all of this has been so fast and I’m still getting used to the idea that tomorrow, she’ll be my… wife.”

 

"Why do you want to marry her?" 

"Grandma, what kind of question is that?" asked Laura, curiously.

"It’s a very simple question, Laura,” she replied, folding her arms.

"Because… because she is…  because in spite of how much she puts on this apathetic air when she actually lets her guard down, you can see how much she cares for others, and wishes harm to no one and watches out for those around her. Because sometimes I don’t always understand her sense of humor, but she still manages to make me smile without trying. Because when she takes my hand, it feels as natural as if it belonged there. Because despite all the things that have happened to her, she remains an exceptional woman and stands up for her principles. When I look beyond the surface, I’ve left wondering how this woman is even real.”

But it wasn’t until Laura finished her explanation that he realized how well she described Carmilla. She gasped as it dawned on her that it hadn’t required any effort or strain on her part to find reasons to love her.

"Then you should tell her." 

"Sorry, what?" 

"You must tell her. Sometimes we forget to tell the ones we love or those who have a special place in our hearts exactly what they really mean to us. We take it for granted that they know how much we love them. I believe that all of these nerves and doubts you have about the wedding will dissipate when you tell her," said Lilith, smiling softly at her. 

It actually didn’t seem like the worst idea in the world to Laura. After all, maybe Carmilla felt the same way, and if not, she’d just have to live with it. She’d continue on with her life where Carmilla would be her co-worker and her friend. 

 

‘I’ll tell her.”

 

***

"It’s really very easy, T.A. Just twist your wrist when you’re almost finished so that the frosting is nice and even. Then it won’t fall off the side," said Dean, as she finished putting blue frosting on a chocolate cupcake. 

"I’m doing that, but my cupcakes are nowhere near as good as yours!" exclaimed Dean in frustration as she glared at one that was more frosting than cupcake and highlighted her lack of culinary skills. 

"It is not so difficult, it’s just a matter of practice,” replied Dean soothingly. ‘I’m sure you’ll have it in no time, T.A.”

"There was nothing wrong with mine," said Zeta as he smiled in pride at his.

It was true too; it was much better that T.A.’s although not entirely on Dean’s level.  T.A. grunted in annoyance and elbowed it out of his hand. Zeta gasped, but managed to catch it before it fell on the floor. Unfortunately, it was upside down when he caught it, and some of the icing came off.

 

“Hey Bro, not cool!” he pouted.

T.A. just laughed until she saw Dean’s accusatory frown.

Zeta just licked the blue icing off his hand and shrugged as he proceeded to eat the rest of the cupcake. It was still good as far as he was concerned.

"We’ll finish this tray first, then we can clean up and prepare dinner,” said Dean as she finished decorating the last cupcakes. 

"Awesome! I’m starving," mumbled Zeta as he stuffed another cupcake into his mouth.

 

"Have you eaten one… two… six cupcakes! How is it that you're still hungry?" asked a shocked T.A. 

"I’m a growing man, I need my food," grinned Zeta, displaying a mixture of cupcake, icing, and sprinkles all over his teeth.

"Ugh! Close your damn mouth, I don’t want to see all that." 

 

T.A. slapped him across the back of the head, giving her what Carmilla had nicknamed his kicked puppy look. 

Dean finished decorating the cupcakes and put them in the refrigerator to cool. Zeta began cleaning the table, while T.A. put everything that they used for baking in the sink. They worked quickly with the ease of people who had done this countless times.

 

This time however, they were disturbed.

"Miss Dean! Miss Dean!" shouted a nervous Bookworm as he burst into the kitchen.

"What is it, Bookworm?" sighed Dean, while she washed the frosting off her fingers.

"Hey Bro, what’s up? Did you find another book in one of those zombie languages that only you understand?" asked Kirsch.

"The term you’re looking for is 'dead language.' Idiot," replied T.A.

"No, no. It's nothing like that," responded an increasingly agitated Bookworm. 

"Then what is it? You're starting to worry us," asked Dean.

"We have a 'code red' Miss Dean," exclaimed Bookworm as he pulled out a white linen handkerchief to mop his brow.

"Oh, my God! We have to get in touch with Mr. Vordenberg immediately. Everyone in the meeting room now," ordered Dean, throwing her apron to one side as she strode out of the kitchen.

"But what about our dinner?" implored Zeta. 

"I’ll order pizza and plenty of it. It’s going to be a long night, and I’m not going to have time to cook,” shouted Perry, throwing her hands in the air as she hurried after Bookworm.

"Wooo-Hooo. Pizza!" mouthed Zeta to T.A. holding his hand up for a high five. 

"Not now, you idiot! We have a code red." said an exasperated T.A. before slapping him on the back of the head again.

Zeta shrugged his shoulders in response and followed her out of the kitchen without worrying too much about the code red. They had a few of them before, and everything had worked out fine. What was all the fuss about this time?

 

And more importantly, when was the pizza going to arrive?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	13. Reflection.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Go to her, Carmilla. Don’t waste another minute. Tell her exactly how you feel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Creampuffs! I'm sorry for the delay (is still friday here) bahahaha so I'm still on time, tho.
> 
> I wanted to post this early but yesterday someone stole my phone and I've been busy with that. Anyway, I have a new phone and everything is fixed now. 
> 
> Just 3 chapters more after this one, we're wrapping the story. 
> 
> Have a great weekend :)

 

 

It would be easier to believe that there is more life in space than there is Sherman Hollis’ car.

Carmilla was still trying to understand what had happened back at the Hollis estate. She had acceded to Lilith’s wishes to marry Laura without further delay. But not only that; she was to appear before a judge tomorrow and join her life with Laura’s, all for the sake of a lie. 

She was furious with Sherman Hollis for writing such a patchwork of untruths that couldn’t  be sustained. It was the very reason she was against lying in principle; someone else’s happiness couldn’t be based on anything other than the truth. As for Vordenberg, she wished she had never crossed paths with him and gotten involved in this ridiculous exercise. All he did was build up her expectations that that life would be a lot easier from now on. 

 

Part of her was also annoyed at Lilith. Sure, she understood that the woman wanted to see Laura ‘settled down’ and it was clear she was willing to go to any extreme to get ‘Laura’ to commit herself to this marriage after supposedly putting it off for so long. 

But most of all, Carmilla was angry with herself, for not having the courage or cold-heartedness to refuse the woman. Not that she had made it easy, on the contrary, she was like a chess master, and everyone else was just pieces on the board. And she had played Carmilla perfectly, wearing down the little resistance she had to marry Laura.

Laura… 

For reasons she couldn’t put into words, she was pissed at Laura too. She couldn’t figure out why was she annoyed at the woman who was about to become her wife.

Wife…

 

The thoughts of being married to Laura gave her a warm feeling all over, even more so than the times when Laura gave her a small, but honest smile.

 

_ Godammit!  _

She tried to deny that it was unnerving how Laura made her  _ feel _ things. Like the way they always grasped each other's hands to comfort and reassure each other or how unbearable it was any time she couldn’t find the slightest pretext to kiss Laura. And there was the way Laura just pushed past all the barriers Carmilla had built up to protect herself as if they weren’t there.  She tried her hardest to be annoyed at the fact that she felt safe for the first time in her life with Laura beside her. 

***

Sherman cleared his throat to get her attention and Carmilla finally looked at him for the first time since they got in the car. 

"So… it seems we'll have a wedding tomorrow," he said, regarding her curiously. 

"Sherman, you do realize that it’s because of your mother-in-law?" she responded, trying to ignore the huge smile he wore.

"I know, I know, but I was still wondering if in fact Laura and you…." 

"Mr. Hollis, Cupcake and I are only pretending; you hired us for this job. This is just an extension of our roles." 

He nodded without saying anything, almost as if he knew that her words were more to convince herself than him as he pulled up outside the tailors. He breathed a silent prayer that Carmilla would see sense and openly acknowledge what he had observed between Laura and her over the last few days. Lilith was no fool either and he knew she saw the same things he did.

"Carmilla?" 

When he got out of the car, he noticed someone with short red hair was waiting for them on the sidewalk. Sherman recognized LAF, the person who drove Laura and Carmilla to the house on the first day. 

"Laf! Oh, thank God. Uhm… Sherman, could you…" 

"Of course, of course. I must see the mayor anyway to organize a judge for tomorrow, and I’ll meet you here later at Mr. Colantoni’s. Good to meet you again, LAF,” he said, shaking their hand before crossing to the opposite side of the street.

"Judge? Carmilla, Is there a problem with the Hollis family?" asked LAF. 

"No. Actually, yes; well there is a situation but not with them; it has to do with them but not directly. Also, yes because Laura is her granddaughter… but then again one could not say that it is a problem, at least the problem isn’t with them as such… kind of. They’re fully on board, but the problem is that… I don't know if Laura and I are… because in theory, we shouldn’t be… I think.  Anyway, it’s for the mission, not for us; because it is clear that there is nothing between us." 

"What the hell?! Hey, hey, hey. Breathe… geez! I think spending so much time with Laura has made you ramble worse than she does." LAF was getting worried at this point as Carmilla was on the verge of hyperventilating. 

Carmilla took a deep breathe while she tried to the easiest way to explain everything to LAF who still seemed to be enjoying this too much for her liking though. 

"Laura and I are going to get married tomorrow." 

Well, no point in pussyfooting about it at this point. And it was sort of worth it to see LAF’s eyes almost pop out of their head.

"What?! Are you shitting me?" 

"The grandmother, she… she’s made her mind up that Laura and I must get married tomorrow before we leave. She knows that she won’t live to see Laura return and she doesn’t want to miss her wedding. She wants to have the ceremony take place first thing tomorrow." 

"And you accepted." 

‘Are you asking me or telling me, Gingersnap?! You weren’t there; we had to do it because she was on the verge of tears and telling us it was her fondest wish to see it happen before she died. How the hell could we refuse?” 

"Oh, of course not," replied LAF rolling their eyes.

"You have to help me! Us! You have to help us.". 

"Okay, calm down. Carry on with everything for the moment while I contact the team for answers.”. 

 

“Thank you so much!”

 

“In the meantime, could you please at least look a little happier? After all, tomorrow is your wedding,” they said with a smirk.

 

“I will murder you!”

 

"Oh look, here comes Mr. Hollis. Just carry on for the moment, and I'll take care of everything else." 

 

 Carmilla rolled her eyes at them. She knew that LAF was always implying that there was more between Laura and her than their constant bickering. Honestly, it was the craziest and most stupid idea that Carmilla had ever heard. Wasn’t it?

 

Perhaps not so crazy and stupid as to actually marry Laura, but not far from it. LAF was wrong. Weren’t they?

"You taking care of things? Why does that make me more worried?" Carmilla replied, laughing for the first time. 

LAF’s response was a playful punch to her shoulder. Carmilla smiled again and nodded in thanks. Apart from Laura, they were the team member she had the most faith in.

"Well, I have to go. See you tomorrow, Mr. Hollis," said LAF as they walked away quickly and began jogging down the street.

"Everything okay?" Sherman asked, looking after LAF suspiciously.  He was hoping to himself that the team didn’t step in before the ceremony. Even though this wasn’t his Laura, he wanted to give her away to someone she loved more than anyone else in the world and who loved her as much in return. Even if the couple were too stubborn to recognize their mutual feelings. 

"Yes, LAF had some outstanding issues regarding our flight home tomorrow,” replied Carmilla. When she saw how sad Sherman looked at her response, she wished she could have taken those words back.

"I understand totally. Anyway, the mayor has organized everything for the wedding tomorrow. It was all so easy, especially as his wife’s birthday is in less than a month and he’s getting some free casks of the infamous Cava Hollis for the party. Now, let’s get you a suit.”

Sherman entered the small shop, trying not to think about the fact that in less than twenty-four hours, Laura and Carmilla’s stay would only be a memory for him and Lilith. 

"Sherman Hollis! To what do I owe this honour?" exclaimed a small rotund man. Carmilla blinked and couldn’t help chuckling at how his bald head and warm, kind eyes made him look very similar to Sherman. 

"Enrico Colantoni! My old friend," replied Sherman, giving him a warm hug.

"But what a joy to have you here again! And such wonderful news Lilith woke me up with this morning! I didn't even know that little Laura had returned! And to get married no less!" 

At first, Carmilla couldn’t help smiling at the man’s enthusiasm. But then she froze and wondered what Lilith had told the man. Did he even know Laura’s partner was a woman? Surely Sherman or Lilith wouldn’t risk their reputation in a small town like this? But people can be incredibly stupid at times; she had experience of that already when her own mother disowned her and threw her out of her home. 

 

"Her visit is a real surprise, and we wanted to take advantage of it," replied Sherman with a smile. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to make her fiancée’s wedding suit.”

"And is this the lucky lady?" he asked, looking Carmilla up and appraisingly, making her even tenser. 

"Carmilla, allow me to introduce you to Enrico Colantoni, the finest tailor in all of Austria," said Sherman, dramatically.

Enrico was walking around Carmilla at this point, still looking her up and down. His penetrating gaze was starting to scare her slightly. 

"Enrico, this is Carmilla. The love of Laura’s life and her future wife," declared Sherman proudly. 

Carmilla couldn’t help smiling at Sherman’s dramatics, and she blushed at the affectionate tone of her future father-in-law. She allowed herself to bask in it for a second.

 

_ What the frilly hell is this? Stop thinking such nonsense _ !  _ No one could be proud of you. You’ve done nothing to be proud of. _

She would have continued in this vein, but Enrico suddenly wrapped her in a warm hug and shocked her out of her broodiness.

 

"But I see that Laura is still just as smart as ever, eh? I see she has caught you and hasn't let go, Carmilla!" replied Enrico with a smile that was even bigger than Sherman’s

Carmilla could feel herself blushing even more as Sherman laughed heartily at his friend's words. 

"I think Laura inherited my good taste," joked Sherman as Enrico loosened his embrace on Carmilla.

"Sherman, for the first time I agree with you. Eileen was so beautiful, a queen amongst women. I still don't understand why she picked you instead of me," Enrico replied with feigned indignation. 

 

"I’m sure it was nothing to with the fact that while I was courting her, you were doing the same with William’s father," replied Sherman, grinning. 

Carmilla was stunned at all the new information and even more so with the natural way the tailor had handled the situation. He accepted everything without question without a single look of disapproval or displeasure. It made her even more puzzled why the real Laura had thrown aside her privileged lifestyle. Also, she wanted so badly to ask if ‘William’ was the same person that worked for Lilith, but didn’t want to interrupt their banter. Carmilla did make a mental note to ask later though.

"Ah, but I don't think we were allowed to call it ‘courting’ back,” replied the tailor with a wistful look.

For the first time in years, Carmilla wondered if whether her life had been quite as bad as she thought. Sure, it was horrible that her mother had turned her back on her, but since then, she had run into people who hadn’t asked or cared about her preferences. Even Spencer had helped her and had never asked for anything in return. As for Enrico, his life couldn’t have been easy when he was young, being forbidden to be with the one he loved or even to reveal who he was. Maybe she had been luckier than she thought.

"Ian and I will always be grateful to you for pretending to my mother that Eileen was my girlfriend. It was the only way I could get out of the house so that I can go on my real dates," continued Enrico, who looked like he was about to cry.

"Come now, Enrico, no tears,” replied Sherman, pulling him into a hug. “Save them for tomorrow and let them be tears of joy instead.”

 

Several hours later, Carmilla was standing in the middle of the room, unable and afraid to move due to all the pins that were stuck in the suit she was wearing. If felt like about three hundred years had passed, although Sherman swore they had only been there three hours. She was afraid to even breath because she already felt like a pin cushion with the number of times that the pins had stuck in her.

Enrico had insisted that the suit would be a medium gray with black lapels as it suited her pale skin the best. At this point, she was wearing a white t-shirt that served as a guide for him, but he assured her that his seamstresses were already working on a shirt for to match and blend in with the suit for the wedding. It was to come with a black bow-tie to match the jacket lapels. Although the pants currently trailed along the ground, he assured her that they would be tapered to the ankle to ‘take advantage of the brides' excellent figure.’ 

 

She was left alone in Enrico’s office when the stubborn tailor insisted that he knew the perfect shoes to go with her suit and went to get them himself. Sherman was in the workshop where Enrico’s staff were working hard on the rest of her clothes.

There was a knock on the door, and Carmilla mumbled 'come in,' afraid that the slightest movement would cause yet another pin to jab her.

Once, she had applied for a job as a receptionist in a small Japanese massage parlour where they offered acupuncture as a relaxation therapy.  The old, rude woman who ran the business rejected her immediately as she wanted someone Asian. She was left with a bad impression at the time of acupuncturists, and after today, she was more convinced than ever that anyone who voluntarily had needles stuck in their skin was out of their mind.

 

"Are you decent?" asked Sherman, peeking from around the door with a hand over his eyes. 

Carmilla turned a blind eye to the question and muttered 'yes.' 

Sherman walked over to the couch in the office where he had left his coat.

" Are you done here yet ?" asked Carmilla loudly, when she was feeling a bit more confident that she wasn’t going to be jabbed by pins again, just by breathing.

 

"Carmilla, E nrico could make a suit for me with his eyes closed. He has always been my tailor, even when he was an apprentice under his father who previously owned this business. He always had a talent for design and manufacturing. Not too much longer now, I’d imagine" replied Sherman laughing at the frustrated growl from Carmilla. 

"Seriously? I don't think I could bear waiting at the altar tomorrow if I have to wait here another minute.”

"I believe you would wait forever if it were Laura…" 

"Mr. Hollis, don’t even go there," she replied, glaring at him. 

"I know, I know. I know that you insist that this is all an act and nothing more. But I’m not blind, and I can't help thinking that there is something more between you." 

"I don't understand what you mean," she replied, staring into the floor length mirror that Enrico kept in his office. 

Sherman walked behind Carmilla to look into her eyes through the mirror in front of them. 

“Carmilla, what do you see in the mirror?" asks the man gesturing with his head toward the reflection. 

"The worst torture I have even gone through in my life."

Sherman just laughed at her glum expression 

"You want to know what I see?" 

Carmilla shrugged and regretted it immediately when two pins in the left sleeve stabbed her in the shoulder, making her hiss in pain. 

Sherman laughed again and stepped closer until he was standing behind her.

"When I described Carmilla in my letters, I listed out all the traits that I would have loved to see in the woman that deserved my daughter. The warmth in her eyes, a sincere smile, intelligent enough to handle any situation, and the fortitude to stick to her principles. I didn’t want to her to make the same mistake as I did by suffocating her, just to be protective enough that she felt safe and loved. I wanted a woman worthy of the love of a grandmother, a future father-in-law, and my Laura. I never thought that there could be a person who could fill all these expectations; but behold, Carmilla in person, looking back at you from the mirror." 

 

Sherman paused for a moment as a tear rolled down his cheek. Carmilla felt her own throat closing up and tried to hold back her own tears.

"If I couldn’t be a good enough father for my real daughter or at least if I couldn’t provide her with a good life, I want at least to be that father for the Laura in my letters." 

Carmilla looks at the reflection of the man behind her, and she can't help but think about her own father. If he had lived, her life would have been very different to what it was. She would never have had to live on the streets, sleep in the rain, try to earn a living from such a young age or deal with people’s rejection of her. Including her own mother.

"Although this is all an act, I still feel the need to do the right thing for Laura. So, I’m standing before you, asking you to go to the wedding tomorrow. Let there be no lies between you. Tomorrow morning, when you say, ‘I do,’ say them with all sincerity. Say them so that she knows exactly what you feel for her.”

Something about Sherman reminds her of her father and his warm, affectionate ways. For the first time in her life, she desperately wanted to follow her heart, and she could no longer contain her tears. 

"Go to her, Carmilla. Don’t waste another minute. Tell her exactly how you feel.’

She nodded firmly while wiping her tears. When she had recomposed herself, she smiled shyly at him.  

And Sherman Hollis knew in his heart that Carmilla had promised him that every word she said at the ceremony tomorrow would be the truth and nothing else.

"I have them! I told you I’d find the perfect shoes," declared Enrico, barging into the office without noticing that he had interrupted their moment.

 

***

Carmilla drove quickly back to the house when the sun was beginning to set behind the mountains. Sherman had insisted she take the car even though she was barely able to drive as he had some business to take care of in the village.  At first, she was a little hesitant to leave him alone without the means to get home, but Enrico promised that he’d drive him back to the estate as he wanted to check on the team that was altering Laura’s dress.

As soon as she parked outside the house, she leapt out of the car and ran inside.

"Laura!" she shouted, taking the stairs two and three steps at a time.

"Hey, hey, hey! Where do you think you're going?" asked Lilith, coming out of the kitchen and cleaning her wrinkled hands on an old stained apron. From the looks of it, Carmilla guessed she was working on the food for the wedding dinner.

 

Her wedding.

"Grandma, I need to talk to Laura urgently," replied Carmilla. “Laura!” she called again, as she continued running up the stairs.

"Laura  is gone ," replied Lilith, firmly. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know, I'm a bad person. You have all the right to curse at me! 
> 
> See you next Friday ;)!


	14. Only you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tell me that you want this," she said. "Tell me that what you want … is me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look who's posting early! 
> 
> Yeah, this... is happening!
> 
> I'm leaving tomorrow for holidays so I wouldn't be able to update and I know you'll going to kill me if I'd skipped a week, so here you go this, and... you're welcome, yeah. 
> 
> Happy early xmas *Wink, wink*

 

 

 

 

Carmilla felt like her heart was going to break when she heard Lilith.

 

_Laura is gone._

 

Where was she? Where did she go? Her mind conjured up countless reasons for Laura’s absence and how it prevented her from finally expressing her feelings.

 

Her confusion did not go unnoticed by Lilith, and she gestured at Carmilla to come back down back down the stairs. When she finally reached the ground floor, the old woman was waiting impatiently for her. Taking her face in her hands, she smiled at the anxious girl. 

 

"You didn’t let me finish, Carmilla. Laura is not here because she’s in the cellar." 

 

"The cellar? What’s she doing there? Is everything okay? Is she okay?"

 

Lilith’s smile grew bigger at Carmilla’s obvious concern. She knew how much the girl cared about other people, but it was on a whole other level where Laura was involved.

 

"She’s perfectly fine. She’s waiting for you," said Lilith, whose smile had turned a little too cunning now for Carmilla’s liking. She was apparently up to something. Was it not enough that the woman had emotionally blackmailed them into getting married?

 

Not of course that Carmilla was going to back out.

 

"Waiting for me?" 

 

"I felt it wasn’t fair that the two of you didn’t get much time alone together this week. After not seeing Laura for so long, I think Sherman and I monopolized all her attention. So, I wanted to make it up to you. The two of you are going to have dinner together tonight. Think of it as your last date before you take that final step tomorrow.”

 

Lilith took Carmilla's hands between hers and looked directly into her eyes. 

 

"I think it's important to always remember the love you both share and I'm sure you have a lot to talk about before tomorrow." 

 

Carmilla bit her lip to try and contain her smile but didn’t succeed. In her opinion, Lilith Morgan was a goddess, just like the woman who won her heart. For some reason best known to Fate, Life had made sure that her path would cross with those of Laura and Lilith. It was almost as if they were telling her that the world had more to offer than just existence and that she deserved better. She was never going to figure out what she did to earn the opportunity to know such wonderful people. The idea that someone as pure and admirable as Laura could return Carmilla’s feelings made her heart race.

 

But she had made up her mind. No more uncertainty, no more fear. Tonight was the night when she would lay her cards on the table, win or lose. Tonight, she was finally going to tell Laura everything she had kept bottled up inside her.

 

"Why are you still here, Carmilla?! Go upstairs and change and don't make her wait any longer. We both know that my granddaughter does not possess the virtue of patience," said Lilith, pushing Carmilla toward the stairs. 

 

Carmilla paused and pulled Lilith into a hug. The old woman seemed a little surprised at first but returned the affectionate gesture with the same enthusiasm.

 

"Come on, come on, you have to hurry," said Lilith. Carmilla smiled and began running up the steps again.

 

"One last thing, Carmilla! I’ve moved all your things to the room across from Laura’s.”

 

Lilith laughed at Carmilla’s bewildered expression. "You can have all the fun all you want on your date, but you can’t share the room with Laura tonight. After all, it’s the night before the wedding, and there are some traditions that I don’t want to risk. So, there will be no ‘Cupcake’ or ‘Kitten’ tonight,” said Lilith, with a wink

 

Carmilla couldn’t help but laugh at Lilith’s insinuation. Apparently, she hadn’t forgotten the pet names they supposedly used in the privacy of their bedroom. She shook her head affectionately at Lilith and promised to stick to wedding tradition.

 

When she opened the door to her new room, Carmilla noticed that some of her clothes were laid out on the bed, while her personal items were placed on the dressing table. The thing that really caught her attention though was the small but beautiful arrangement of white flowers on the bedside table.  It had a note attached, and she picked it up to take a closer look. 

 

_It is impolite to go on a date without a bouquet._

 

The writing was beautiful, but a little shaky. It was still clear though that Lilith hadn’t lost her skill and that her mind was as sharp as ever.  She had thought of everything. Carmilla could almost see Lilith winking as she wrote those words; every time she felt she couldn’t love the woman more, she did something like this. Nothing was left to chance, not even the smallest details and Carmilla just knew the wedding was going to run smoothly.

 

She took a quick shower and dressed herself, ready to go out in search of Laura. Grabbing the bouquet, she took a deep breath. 

 

_Now or never._

 

After her little pep talk, she hurried downstairs to the cellar. She paused for a few seconds to catch her breath and check her clothes; she had chosen her black jeans, a shirt of the same color and her leather vest. She was hoping to get lucky tonight, even though Lilith’s words about tradition were still going around her head. 

 

She wiped the dirt off her boots from the cellar steps and discreetly rubbed the insteps of the back of her jeans. Taking one last deep breath, she opened the door to meet her destiny.

 

When Carmilla entered the huge wine cellar, the first thing she saw was Laura standing with her back towards her. She was facing a small dining table where everything was arranged to the last detail. Two antique silver plate covers were facing each other across the table with matching cutlery on either side and in the center, a silver candlestick that was obviously part of the same set.  There were a few more placed around the room, and the flickering candlelight created a cozy atmosphere.

 

She couldn’t have done it better herself. There were a few other details that must have taken a lot of time to prepare, but Carmilla barely noticed them. She only had eyes for the vision before her.

 

She was awestruck at how the candlelight seemed to bring out the golden tones in Laura’s blond hair, almost making it glow. It didn’t help that she was wearing a figure-hugging red dress that left most of her back exposed and Carmilla yearned to touch it to see if it was as soft as it looked. The black high heels she was wearing did wonders for her already perfect calves, and Carmilla felt her mouth go dry with nerves.

 

All that confidence that she had gained after her conversations with Sherman and evaporated when Laura turned slightly. However, she was still oblivious to the other girl’s presence. She seemed to be talking to herself, and when she paused to bite her lip, Carmilla almost groaned out loud.

 

Trying to calm her nerves, Carmilla began to approach Laura and made as little noise as possible so that she wouldn’t alert the blonde to her presence. 

 

A totally oblivious Laura carried on muttering and waving her hands about, almost as if she was preparing a speech for school. Occasionally she would shake her head in denial or nod in determination before looking a little unsure and biting her lip again.  It was so typically ‘Laura’ and reminded Carmilla why she fell hard for her. She realized she was smiling like a love-struck fool again, just like all those other times over the last few days when she thought about the woman she didn’t meet until last week.

 

A few days ago, she would have been sickened at how she had turned into such a cornball whenever she thought about the blonde. With feelings and everything! Gross!

 

But it was already too long since she had heard the sound of Laura’s voice and Carmilla cleared her throat to get her attention. Laura spun on her heels and looked at Carmilla, looking remarkably like a deer caught in headlights.  She opened and closed her mouth, but no words came out, and she looked mortified at being caught. Carmilla just about held back her laughter, sensing that it would make Laura worse and smiled reassuringly.

 

“Hey,” said Laura, smiling tentatively.

 

Laura had been practicing what she wanted to say to Carmilla all afternoon after her chat with Lilith. Now that they were finally together, she couldn’t remember a word of it. She brushed her hair back, hoping that Carmilla didn’t think she was a huge dork.

"Hey," Carmilla responded, pulling the flowers from behind her back and handing them to Laura. “These are for you,” she continued, as she began to blush furiously.

 

Laura managed to contain her squeal of delight, but it was a close-run thing. She thought the gesture was incredibly charming but didn’t want to act like a ridiculous teenager whose crush had just presented her with flowers while asking her for a date.  

 

 _But they’re so beautiful_ insisted that inner voice.

 

"Thank you, those are my favorite. But, how did you know?" she asked while inhaling the fragrance and closing her eyes in bliss.

 

"It was Lilith’s idea. She thought they’d be a nice touch,” replied Carmilla, scratching the back of her neck.

"Oh, so that was why she was asking this afternoon."

 

Even though it wasn’t Carmilla’s idea, Laura didn’t care. She was still charmed at this shy, nervous side of Carmilla.

 

"Shall we?" said Carmilla, gesturing toward the food. Laura nodded and turned to walk towards the table. She jumped a little when she felt a warm hand on her back, but relaxed against Carmilla and succeeded again in not squealing in delight. She gave a small sigh of disappointment when Carmilla removed her hand, but it was only so she could pull out a chair to help Laura sit down.

 

Laura seized the moment to remove the silver cover from the dishes and was astonished at the variety of food that Lilith had prepared for them. She had been taking the whole idea of this date very seriously by the looks of things. Carmilla did the same with her plate and was equally impressed. Lilith was taking no chances with the food.

 

The rest was up to her. Carmilla swallowed nervously, an action that did not go unnoticed by Laura.

 

Seeing how anxious she was, Laura reached across the table and placed her hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. It was the only thing she wanted to do ever since she got to know the real person behind the apathetic hardened exterior that Carmilla customarily affected.

 

"And how was your day, Carm?" she asked trying to divert the conversation away from the minefield that were her feelings for the woman sitting opposite her.

 

Just because this was the night to finally confess what she felt, meant she had to start this minute. They had plenty of time, and first she wanted to reassure the girl that she was safe and could trust her.

 

Carmilla visibly relaxed, and she wasn’t sure if it was Laura’s gentle voice or the way she stroked her hand with her thumb, but it all felt so natural to her. She was bursting with the urge to tell the blonde how she really felt.

 

Just not yet.

 

"Pure madness, Cupcake. I spent hours playing at being a pincushion when my suit was being made. By the way, apparently, we’re not the only gays in the village,” she replied with a laugh.

 

"What! The townspeople won’t be out with torches and pitchforks to stop our wedding?" replied Laura with the same jesting tone. 

 

"It seems they’re way ahead of us, Cupcake. I suspect that the ever-helpful William is the son of Mr. Colantoni and his husband. So, it doesn’t seem to bother anyone who lives locally,” said Carmilla leaning over the table as if she was sharing a juicy piece of gossip. 

 

"Oh! So, we better hurry up and have kids too," exclaimed Laura with a playful tone.

 

As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. Carmilla went pale and leaned back, removing her hand from Laura’s.

 

"Cupcake…" 

 

"Food!" Laura blurted. 

 

"What?" asked Carmilla, confused. 

 

"We should start eating, or our food will get cold, and it would be a real shame because Grandma has put a lot of effort into this and everything looks really appetizing," Laura declared, stabbing blindly at her plate and shoving the fork in her mouth. “And oh God, that’s broccoli! Which is so delicious by the way. Yum!” she continued with a grimace.

 

Carmilla tried not to laugh, knowing how much it cost Laura to swallow the food, given her passionate hatred of vegetables.

 

 _Later,_ she promised herself as she began to tackle her own food. In truth, dinner was amazing, and she savored every bite.

 

For dessert, Lilith had prepared a plate full of home-baked pastries and cookies, none of them with nuts to Laura’s delight. She devoured half of them in no time, completely unaware of the amused astonishment of Carmilla. 

 

Laura was in the middle of enjoying a chocolate chip cookie when she felt Carmilla’s thumb stroking the corner of her lips.  Carmilla held her face with the other hand as she tried to brush away the crumbs from her face. To Laura, it felt like the world had stopped and all she was aware of was Carmilla. Her eyes dropped to Carmilla’s lips as she licked her own and back up to her eyes. She noticed Carmilla doing the same, and it left her breathless.

 

Carmilla had tried to be as careful as possible when reaching over to Laura. It was almost as if she was in a dream and that Laura would just fade away if she touched her. Without meaning to, she swiped her thumb across Laura’s bottom lip to remove the crumbs there and watched as Laura’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment. She tried to catch her breath and the next thing she knew, Laura was slowly leaning closer. Powerless, she felt herself doing the same as she slid to the edge of her seat to get even nearer. They were so close now that they could feel each other’s breath on their lips.

 

Carmilla grasped Laura by the back of her neck possessively and closed the distance until their lips gently brushed together.

 

_Ping._

 

They jumped apart when a silver plate cover slid off the table and landed on the floor. 

 

Laura recovered first and broke into helpless giggling at the ridiculousness of the situation. Carmilla, for her part, was disappointed but couldn’t help smiling at Laura’s happy, carefree laughter. She glared at the offensive piece of silverware that had ruined their moment but ended up laughing along with the other girl anyway.

Neither of them knew what to say or do. Carmilla didn’t want the evening to end, ever. Besides, she still hadn’t achieved the most important thing.

 

From the corner of her eye, she noticed something that looked out-of-place in the cellar. Something that she had seen upstairs only a few days ago.

 

_You really have thought of everything, Lilith._

 

Feeling confident again, she stood up and strode over to the record player, the same one from the sitting room when she had sung for Lilith.

 

Laura starred after her, her every instinct screaming at her not to let the girl walk away. But her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the music begin to play and Carmilla came back to the table, extending her hand out to her.

 

"May I have this dance?" asked Carmilla shyly.

 

Laura’s inner teenager squealed again and did a happy dance. Outwardly, she took the other girl’s hand and let Carmilla guide her to a part of the floor where they could move around easily.

 

Laura was quite happy to be held close by Carmilla, but seriously who chooses a waltz for a dance, she thought? Carmilla, of course.

 

She was brought back to reality when Carmilla rested her hand on her bare back. It felt so natural to Laura as if her and Carmilla had known each other for years, not days. It was ridiculous that this woman made her feel so much in such a short time, but it just seemed right.

 

"Not that I mind, but where did you learn to dance?" she asked after fumbling a few steps until Carmilla discreetly pulled her closer until they were chest to chest and guided her patiently through the waltz.

 

"I have my ways, Cupcake. And no, I'm not going to disclose them. Otherwise, I would lose my air of mystery," replied Carmilla with a whisper into her ear that made her skin tingle and a delicious shiver run down her spine.

 

Laura was amazed that her legs were still holding her up. It was a mystery to her because she felt weak in the knees at the sound of that voice. So she built up her courage and interlaced her fingers behind Carmilla’s neck, holding on for dear life. She felt that if Carmilla spoke to her again like that, she was going to have to carry her out of the cellar.

 

She was lost in the rhythm of the dance until the music switched to another song. But Laura didn’t want to be separated from Carmilla and tightened her grip on her. Carmilla hugged her around the waist with both arms as Laura rested her head on her shoulder with a happy sigh. She idly wrapped a strand of hair around her finger, causing Carmilla to make a sigh of contentment that almost sounded like purring.

 

Carmilla never believed in destiny until she met Laura. When the first side had ended, she walked over to the record player and smiled when she noticed another record with a song that was perfect for the occasion. Before her nerve failed her, she placed it on the turntable, and it began to play.

 

The song she had chosen was _The Way You Look Tonight,_ and every word expressed precisely how she felt at that moment as she took Laura in her arms again.

 

"I have something I want to tell you," said Carmilla with a sigh while they swayed gently from side to side.

 

Laura stumbled for a moment and lost her rhythm, but Carmilla held her carefully until she found her footing again.

 

"Of course Carm, you know you can tell me anything," she replied, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.

 

"Tomorrow…"

 

It was all she could say before Laura looked her in the eye, biting her lip nervously. As much as Carmilla adored those hazel eyes, she couldn’t hold that gaze, and she got nervous for a moment. But although she looked away, her hands had a mind of their own, and she tightened her grip on the other girl.

 

Laura sensed that Carmilla was anxiously avoiding her look and positioned herself more comfortably to hug Carmilla close, allowing her to rest her head on her shoulder. She tried to reassure her without words that she was prepared to wait until Carmilla was ready to speak again.

 

Even if the next words she spoke were that her feelings were unreciprocated.

 

But at least then she won’t have to see Carmilla’s face when she said it. Laura wouldn’t be able to bear it if Carmilla saw her burst into tears.

 

"Cupcake, I don't want to go through tomorrow without you knowing this," said Carmilla, after clearing her throat. _Okay,_ _here goes nothing._ “You make me feel things that I never imagined that I would feel for someone else. Ever. Not even in my wildest dreams." 

 

Laura felt her heart leap in her chest. Was she imagining things? As much as she wanted to look into Carmilla’s eyes again, she knew she couldn’t because Carmilla would feel vulnerable and clam up again. A small part of her said that there was no hope and that Carmilla wasn’t making some grand declaration of love, but was about to let her down gently. Whatever it was, she was going to let her finish. 

 

"I can’t deny it anymore; I couldn’t lie about this even if I wanted to. We need to talk when this is all over. But even if the wedding of tomorrow is a farce, I’m not standing in front of a judge tomorrow without letting you know exactly how you make me feel.”

 

Carmilla stopped and took Laura’s face in her hands. "I don't know how you got under my skin in such a short time, but it doesn’t matter to me anymore.  I’m no longer living in fear, Cupcake. You’re the one that makes me feel everything is going to be okay when you’re by my side," concluded Carmilla, staring intensely into her eyes. 

 

Laura wanted to tell her what she felt, but the sudden lump in her throat wouldn’t let her. However, her emotions were too much to be contained and her eyes filled with tears of joy. She wanted to scream and shout from the rooftops that she also had feelings for Carmilla, that she wanted to try for a proper future together and no matter how uncertain things seemed now, the only thing that mattered was that Carmilla wanted that too.

 

In the meantime, Carmilla smiled nervously at Laura’s reaction. She hadn’t run away screaming which was a good sign, but she didn’t want to assume anything. All she needed was one word from her lips, and all would be well. 

 

"I feel the same way about you, Carm…" Laura replied between sobs.

 

That was the last word she expected to hear. Carmilla felt her heart breaking, and if it weren't for her agitated breathing, she would have thought she was dead inside. 

 

"No" she answered firmly and removed her hands from Laura’s face. "I am not Carmilla, you are not Laura," she explained bitterly. "If what you feel is for her instead of me, then I don’t want to hear it.” 

 

Laura gasped and scolded herself for ruining the moment. She wanted to speak but didn't know what she could say that wouldn’t anger the other woman further. She wanted to explain that her feelings were for the person that Carmilla tried to hide. They were for the woman that Laura got to know over the last few days; a strong person with a painful past that refused to let it define her and stood tall against all the misfortunes life had thrown her way. That was the person she loved.

 

 _Love_? wondered the blond trying to avoid going to that place in her mind, or her heart. 

 

"Maybe we should leave this discussion until all of this is over when it’s just you and me, and we’re not caught up in a life that doesn’t belong to either of us," said Carmilla with a sad and almost non-existent smile. "Tomorrow we will finish the job, then we will search for the answer together.”

 

Laura wanted to say something more, but the disappointment in Carmilla’s expression stopped her. She had their future happiness in the palm of her hands, and now it slid away like water between her fingers. No matter how much she wanted to fix it, Carmilla had a fair point. She didn’t want to be the cause of any more uncertainty and pain in the person who, in such a short time, had gained a special place in her heart. For Carmilla’s sake, she would wait. It was only one more day.

 

Carmilla walked over to turn off the music. When she looked over to Laura, she saw she hadn’t moved. She was shivering and hugging herself as if she was cold. Carmilla immediately took off her jacket and draped it over her shoulders, causing Laura to protest feebly. She stopped however when Carmilla shook her head firmly.

 

They went back upstairs in complete silence, and for the first time, neither of them felt comfortable with it. When they arrived back at their rooms, Laura had composed herself again and finally found her voice.

 

"Thank you for tonight. It was a wonderful last… first date," she said while standing in her doorway.  She had shared this room for the last few days with Carmilla and knew she wouldn’t sleep properly without her. Laura also avoided mentioning that despite the time she had spent practicing what she was going to say, the night was not a total disaster after all. 

 

Carmilla reached out and tucked a lock of hair that had fallen over Laura’s face behind her ear. Despite herself, she couldn’t help tracing a feather-like touch across Laura’s jawline who sighed wistfully. Carmilla removed her hand and smiled apologetically at her.

 

"We’ll solve this, Cupcake. Just one more day," said Carmilla, still smiling.

 

Hope bloomed anew in Laura. She tightened her hands around the bouquet that she hadn’t realized she was holding and nodded.

Carmilla took two steps back to give her more space to enter their old room, almost colliding with the door of the room she was to spend the night in. Laura went inside, but not before wishing her good night. 

 

As soon as Laura’s door closed, Carmilla leaned against her own door and took a deep breath, letting her head fall back against the wood. The night hadn’t gone as she planned and it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

 

"What the heck just happened?” she whispered, running her fingers through her hair.

 

Laura had just confirmed that her feelings were reciprocated in some way, but she had panicked at the mere mention of the word ‘Carm.’ Was Cupcake in love with the character ‘Carmilla’ rather than the real person she was?  Then again, what about her?  Was she in love with ‘Laura’ or the person playing her? Had she even been fair to Cupcake and let her explain herself?

 

No, was the unavoidable answer. Her feelings were for the real person; the one who was so loving, respectful, intelligent and stubborn. It was insanity to think those feelings were clinging to a mere name. And it was her that that had fallen in love a little more every day. Not Carmilla.

 

Every small smile, every caress and every action Laura shared with her.

 

Every spontaneous kiss and every time she grasped her by the hand when no one was around or even in the confines of their old room when no one could see them.

 

The secrets and dreams she had shared with her when she found her stargazing.

 

Her open and honest heart.

 

So if she could see beyond the role she was playing; then what made her think Cupcake wasn’t capable of doing the same? She wasn’t in love with the Laura of the letters or some other ideal. She was in love with the Laura she got to know over the last few days.

 

Her Laura and hers alone. 

 

"Oh, what the hell!" she muttered, before striding over to the other door.

 

Laura had just changed into her coziest pajamas and was trying not to think about what happened. The part of her that was a teenager with a huge crush was thrilled that the attraction wasn’t one-sided. The sensible adult part wanted to grasp and understand Carmilla’s point.  Maybe it was hard to separate the real person from the role they were playing, but she was sure her feelings were nothing to with that or with the story as laid out in the letters. Her Carmilla was truly an exceptional person with her own weaknesses; some of them were a little unusual and the rest she understood and appreciated. At the end of the day, they all made her the amazing woman she was. 

 

She didn’t fall in love with a fictional character; it wasn’t the Carmilla in Sherman’s stories that made her heart soar. It was her Carmilla, the one who made every day better. It was in the little details like when she slept on the floor rather than make Laura uncomfortable or taking care of her when they walked through the vineyard.  It was in the way she treated Sherman and Lilith with care and respect, even though she claimed to be only playing a role.

 

Laura knew in her heart that wasn’t true. That was all her Kitten and her Carmilla. They were one and the same.

 

She put the flowers in a vase she found in the bathroom and placed them on the bedside table, so they’d be the first thing she saw when she woke up. Once they were positioned to her liking, a small sound caught her attention from outside the bedroom door. Curious, she walked over and opened the door to find Carmilla standing outside.

 

Before Laura could say anything, she entered the room and kicked the door behind her to close it.  She took Laura’s face in her hands, firmly yet gently, and crashed her lips into hers.

 

Laura didn’t know what was happening and was too stunned to react immediately. When her brain finally caught up to the fact that Carmilla was finally kissing her, she returned it with equal fervor, pulling her closer in a desperate attempt for more.

 

It wasn’t Laura’s first kiss by any means or even her first with Carmilla, but it almost felt that way. All their feelings were laid bare at last, and everything finally felt right between them.

 

Neither of them knew how long they kissed for, but when they separated, both were gasping for air. They rested their foreheads, one against the other, as their breath ghosted across each other’s lips.

 

"I’m so sorry…" said Laura, between sighs as she tried to catch her breath. 

 

"It’s okay…" gasped Carmilla, who was having the same trouble. She would have said more, but Laura shook her head and placed her index finger on her lips.

 

"No, listen I’m sorry because I know that I should have said something before. I should have said this," she said, taking Carmilla’s hand and placing it over her beating heart. "What I feel, I feel for the girl standing before me, for you," she said, kissing her again. “And only you,” she continued, gazing into her eyes.

 

Carmilla smiled shyly at Laura’s statement. They were finally on the same wavelength. It was almost as if Laura read her mind and the joy she felt at finally being understood made her ecstatic.

Laura pulled Carmilla closer to the bed and knelt on top of it. She slowly began to unbutton her top, watching the other girl the whole time to see if she was okay with it. Carmilla blushed slightly but gave her a barely perceptible nod. Laura continued slowly, in spite of the girl’s silent approval, because she was still standing there, looking a little nervous. But suddenly Carmilla stepped forward and kissed her again with renewed confidence. A delighted Laura leaned back slowly on the bed, bringing Carmilla with her and trying to avoid breaking their kiss. 

 

Carmilla sensed what Laura was doing and followed her lead. As they settled on the bed, Carmilla seized the opportunity to pepper Laura’s neck with kisses, causing Laura to make little appreciative sounds of pleasure. Sounds that rapidly became Carmilla’s new favorite. Laura tangled her fingers in Carmilla’s trying desperately to bring her even closer.

 

"I want to know" Carmilla sighed between kisses. 

 

"What?" asked Laura, thoroughly confused. She was positive most of her higher brain functions had ceased to work since she began kissing Carmilla (and especially when Carmilla had started kissing her back and doing _that_ thing with her tongue). Why were they still talking, she wondered, when they could be kissing some more?

 

Carmilla shifted her weight slightly in bed to look Laura straight in the eye and tried her hardest to ignore the adorable pout Laura directed at her.

 

"Tell me that you want this," she said. "Tell me that what you want is … is me," she continued, her voice cracking at the end. 

 

Laura noticed her vulnerability, not just in her voice, but in her eyes. There was nothing more she wanted than to be Carmilla's and for Carmilla to be hers. Mere words wouldn’t be enough to prove it, but if that’s what Carmilla needed now, she would gladly give it to her. Countless reassuring words passed through her head, but she settled on just two.

 

"Only you," she replied.

 

She watched as the concern vanished from Carmilla’s eyes and her face lit up with a smile that she knew was for her alone.  She pulled Carmilla back impatiently to show her just how much she meant those two simple words and kissed her passionately. This time, it was Carmilla who moaned in pleasure, a sound that Laura knew she’d never tire of hearing.

 

***

 

The following morning. Lilith was the first one up as usual. After pondering what work remained to be done for the wedding, she decided to make breakfast. William joined her a few minutes later to help prepare two separate trays for her granddaughters. As far as she was concerned, Carmilla was already her granddaughter and today just made it official.

 

As usual, the trays were prepared with all the love and detail that only she was capable of achieving. In spite of William insisting that he could bring them up one by one, she wanted to wake up the girls herself and didn’t want to make two separate journeys now that they were sleeping in different rooms. 

 

She walked slowly, not wanting to spill Laura’s hot chocolate. When they reached the first floor, she asked William to wait in the hallway while she delivered Laura’s breakfast first before she went to Carmilla’s room.

 

With Williams help, she slowly opened the door to Laura’s room.

 

The first thing a stunned Lilith noticed was Carmilla’s bare back, and she gave thanks that was all she saw of Carmilla. The second thing she saw was that she was lying on top of Laura, but thankfully the sheets hid most of their nakedness. After the initial shock, Lilith couldn’t help but smile. They were sharing a bed again and judging by the way their clothes were thrown around the floor, they apparently did a lot more than sleeping last night. She backed out of the room slowly out of respect for their privacy and gestured to a confused William to return with her to the kitchen.

 

They left the trays on one of the kitchen counters, and Lilith took a moment to admire the sun rising over the vineyard. It was going to be a beautiful day, and she sighed in contentment. The future she had always wanted for her Laura was close to becoming a reality. 

 

In spite of her warnings (or perhaps because of them, she thought with a mischievous smile), Laura and Carmilla found their way back to each other. She had known since the beginning from the longing looks, the little touches and the way they kissed each other that they were meant to be together. They were inevitable.  

 

And perhaps, for the sake of love, some traditions could be broken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuh,,, yeah... that's scratch and two more chapters to the closure. Well, another chapter and the epilogue. 
> 
> Oh, and grandma Lilith is everything in this chapter, right guys?!
> 
> See you next friday!


	15. The Wedding.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do not see me fall. Dead inside, but standing tall. Like a tree."
> 
> Alejandro Casona; Trees Die Standing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, final chapter. 
> 
> This is my xmas present for you Creampuffs, you're the best. 
> 
> Happy Xmas! ... kinda.

 

 

 

 

Laura loved waking up after having a great dream. This was especially true of those  ones where she seemed to walk amongst the clouds, almost floating among them and looking down on the earth below. These were the ones that made her smile but don’t occur very often. These are the dreams that she tries to remember.

 

There are the dreams that seem real; so real that they make her sigh happily. Lately, they’ve been full of scenarios where Carmilla is walking alongside her, looking at her so sweetly and tenderly and taking her by the hand as they smile while walking through the Hollis vineyard. Sometimes, they even have Carmilla laughing, something she rarely does around others, as if she saved it only for the times when she’s alone with Laura. 

 

There are also the fantasy dreams where Laura can kiss her fiancée anytime she wants and exchange loving words together after which Carmilla begins kissing her on the neck, always on the most sensitive spots of her throat and works her slowly up to her lips. These are the ones where she can barely restrain herself from moaning in pleasure, but somehow she does.

Not today, however. 

The sound she made on this occasion actually woke her up, and she slowly realized her ragged breathing this time was caused by actions that were no dream. Nor was the woman on top of her.

Still drowsy, she ran her fingers through Carmilla’s hair and tried to pull her even closer to herself.  The moan that came from Laura’s lips was even louder as Carmilla shifted her hand and began caressing her stomach. She closed her eyes again to savor the feeling as Carmilla’s hand drifted across her belly button and began to delicately trace the outline of her abs. It wasn’t until her hand started to stray even lower into dangerous territory that Laura finally woke up fully and desperately grasped Carmilla’s hand. 

"Kitten. No," she said in a strained voice. 

Carmilla was startled but stopped immediately, and Laura repented of her words because she looked so sorry, as if she had done something wrong. To remedy the error, she continued stroking her hair causing Carmilla to sigh happily and nestle against her chest. Eventually, Laura placed her finger under her chin to raise her head so she could look her in the eyes.

"Hey," said Laura, at a loss for words. There was so much she wanted to say about how wonderful last night had been and how she didn’t regret it for a moment. But there was still something in her that was afraid to say it in case Carmilla didn’t feel the same way.

Laura was never a person for one-night stands, and while it was true that Carmilla had confessed very strong feelings for her last night, Laura’s heart was still a little fearful. She couldn’t afford to take anything for granted. Life had never been fair to her that way.

“Hey,” replied Carmilla with a huge smile. 

 

It was the most beautiful sight Laura had ever seen. The only thing she could think of was waking up to that every day for the rest of her life. Carmilla looked so happy, relaxed and trusting that it banished any remaining doubts Laura had a few moments ago. 

 

The next moment, however, Carmilla’s gaze turned sultry as she began to caress Laura’s stomach again. 

"Kitten, we can't," she said with a shaky voice that turned into a needy moan when Carmilla began to kiss her breasts and Laura knew they weren’t leaving the bed anytime today if the other girl kept doing that.

 

"I think I’m getting some mixed signals here, Cupcake," replied Carmilla teasingly as she continued placing small kisses on Laura’s chest.

"Mmm" muttered Laura, incapable of saying anything else. Until a sudden thought struck her. 

 

"Oh shit! Grandma!" she said urgently before leaping up in the bed.

Carmilla yelped and fell over the side but managed somehow to land on her feet, almost as if she was a cat. She blindly grabbed something to cover herself and was looking toward the door in horror expecting to see Lilith standing there in disapproval.  While the woman may have been open and accepting of the relationship between Laura and her, Carmilla didn’t feel like pushing their luck any further.  Being caught by Lilith ravishing her naked granddaughter in her childhood bedroom was probably a terrible idea.

Fortunately, there was no one there, and a confused Carmilla looked severely at her fiancée.

 

“Cupcake, what just happened?” 

"Grandma said we weren’t to spend the night together. I think it’s best that you go to your room because I don’t think we have long until she comes to wake us up and the last thing she needs to see is that you and I… that we… that we disobeyed her…Oh God, you took all the bed covers!”

 

Laura’s blush at this stage had spread to her chest as she tried to cover herself and make herself as small as possible on the bed. Her cheeks went even redder when she noticed the admiring look Carmilla sent her way, a look that quickly turned predatory. 

 

_ Oh my God, she looks like wants to eat me _ , thought Laura. And part of her wasn’t averse to the idea even though she knew they didn’t have time for that.

Carmilla dropped the sheets to the ground with the least innocent ‘oops’ in history and climbed slowly and seductively back onto the bed. The next thing she knew was that a yellow pillow had hit her in the face and she had to settle for hugging that instead of Laura’s soft, warm body.  The fact that it smelled just like Laura didn’t help and she groaned in frustration into it.

Laura scampered around the room to pick up all the discarded clothing from the previous night and found her sensible pajamas. She had them on in a second, considering it was the best way to avoid the temptation of taking Carmilla up on her offer. Not that her naked body lying on the bed was helping a lot. 

 

_ Stupid hormones!  _

With a huge sigh, Carmilla lifted her face from the pillow and noticed with some disappointment that Laura was dressed again. Sighing, she began to do the same. 

 

Very slowly.

 

Laura was convinced she was going to have an aneurysm when Carmilla wiggled her hips as she slowly slid her jeans on. Both of them remained silent, not knowing what to say in case they threw caution to the wind and had a repeat bout of last night’s activities.

 

Laura waited by the door as Carmilla prepared to go back to her own room. She knew she was going to see the girl again that day, but right now, every moment apart felt like an eternity. As Carmilla went to leave, she took Laura’s hand and kissed the back of it in farewell. Laura responded by seizing Carmilla’s face in her hands and kissing her so passionately that Carmilla had to take a few steps back to keep her balance. Each tried to convey all the unspoken promises they had made to each other with that kiss.

 

"Only a few more hours, Cupcake," said Carmilla against Laura’s lips.

"Only a few more hours, Kitten," replied Laura, giving her another kiss before reluctantly letting her go.

Laura peeked outside into the hallway and listened to see if anyone else was up in the house. When she was satisfied that was no danger of being caught, she nodded to Carmilla and said goodbye for the last time with one last quick kiss. Once Carmilla entered her room, Laura closed her door and leaned back against it with a happy smile.  Nothing was going to go wrong on today of all days because this was the day she was marrying Carmilla.

"Oh, fuck!" she mumbled when she realized how busy the next few hours were going to be.

“Oh fuck,” said Carmilla with a lazy smile as she leaned against her own bedroom door and remembered the previous night.

"Oh fuck, indeed!" replied a familiar voice from the bed.

LAF was sitting there with a shit-eating grin, and their expression might as well have screamed ‘Busted, you naughty girl.’ 

"What the hell are you doing here?" snarled Carmilla and wondering how much they knew.

"Well, I came to help you get ready and to tell you that we have found a solution to the impending marriage. But imagine my surprise when instead of finding you alone in your room this morning, I had to wait more than half an hour for you to arrive, still dressed in last night’s clothes,” said LAF, stroking their chin as if they were in deep thought.

Carmilla tried to reply, but LAF just held up their hand for silence.

"No need for details. Just blink once if you didn’t spend last night in Laura’s room.”

It would be so easy to lie; after all, what was one more against all the lies she had told since she arrived in Styria? But although she knew she’d never hear the end of it from LAF, her feelings for Laura were too precious to taint with yet another falsehood, and she wasn’t to about to deny them to anyone. Not even LAF.

When Carmilla didn’t blink, LAF burst out laughing. “I knew it! I just knew Laura couldn’t resist those seduction eyes! It was only a matter of time,” they declared while patting Carmilla on the shoulder in a friendly manner. 

Carmilla was puzzled at LAF’s behavior. Had she been that obvious? But Laf’s expression became serious as they looked around Carmilla’s room. 

"Good! There will be time to celebrate this later. But for now, we must stick to Lilith’s wedding plan," they said, frowning in concentration. 

"Wait, wait. How is it that Lilith let you in to see me?” 

"She thinks that I’m your chauffeur, remember? And when Mr. Hollis saw me with Lilith, he said that you had invited me to your wedding and to also help you with anything you needed today.”

"So basically, you're my  gro… my matr… uhm, my best m.. bridesm… uhm, you know? " stuttered Carmilla not knowing what term to use. 

"I prefer a more neutral term," replied LAF, knowing Carmilla was trying to be respectful. “Today, I am your  honor attendant."

 

Carmilla nodded and instantly felt more relaxed when she saw she hadn’t insulted or offended LAF. She had never been too friendly or considerate to them, but having lived with these people for a short time, LAF was easily their favorite person in the whole team. Except for Laura, of course.

"All hands on deck!"  said LAF with such enthusiasm that Carmilla couldn’t help rolling her eyes. 

To Laura, the last few hours seemed to have passed in seconds. The final dress fitting was a resounding success and Laura couldn’t help but feel like a princess when she saw herself in the mirror, especially when Lilith added a finishing touch of her own by placing a silver tiara on her head. She had no idea where it came from and preferred not to ask. Mr. Colantoni and his team had been so skillful that anyone who saw her wedding dress wouldn’t have believed that it hadn’t been made especially for her. She couldn’t thank the seamstresses enough, especially as they had dark circles under their eyes from being up all night.

 

Circles that were almost as dark as the hair of her future wife, her Kitten, her Carmilla…

Ugh! She had become such a lovestruck sap if something so innocuous reminded her of Carmilla, she mused to herself. 

She had no idea how long she sat there in her room, staring at nothing and reviewing her vows. Words that she would have to say in front of witnesses, professing her undying love for Carmilla. She knew she shouldn’t feel so nervous about something that was just a role, the final scene of a make-believe scenario that was intended to bring some happiness to a tired grandmother.  She didn’t want to panic at the thought of standing in front of Carmilla and revealing everything that was in her heart in words that she had rehearsed to herself over and over again. They were all true. Laura didn’t know why her hands were so sweaty because she had done so many missions and played so many roles over the years. 

 

But this wasn’t the same. She knew that too.

 

It was a faint creak from her bedroom door that brought her out of her reverie. When she looked up, Sherman Hollis was standing in the doorway looking at her in adoration. She wondered to herself if that was what it was like to have a father. Was this what they all looked like on their child’s wedding day?

“Oh, Laura!" said Sherman in wonder as he knelt before her and took her hands in his. "You look so beautiful. I thought when I saw Eileen walk down the aisle in that dress that  she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen and that no one else would ever compare to her in beauty. B ut seeing you now, looking even more like a queen than she was, I have to admit I was wrong.” 

 

With the back of his fingers, he wiped away the tears that rolled down Laura’s cheeks. "You look just like your mother." 

Laura’s eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Sherman was speaking again.

"I know, I know. Just let me have this for today. After all, it is our last day together," he said, looking as if he was going to cry. 

Laura just nodded, not knowing what she could say to make him feel better.  She knew it wasn’t her place, even though her heart wished with all its might that this was real. But this was just a role that Carmilla and her were playing for Sherman, and there was nothing she could do. This was the last time she was ever going to see the man.  _ That’s the way the cookie crumbles _ , she said to herself, the same mantra she had lived by all her life when things were beyond her control. 

“Sorry, I’m just an old fool,” said Sherman, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping her tears away. Laura took it from him to dab at her eyes and checked her makeup in the mirror to make sure it wasn’t ruined. When she tried to hand it back to him, he insisted on her keeping it.

 

‘I have a feeling you’re going to need that more than me today,” he said with a fond smile.  

Once Laura had touched up her makeup, Sherman offered her his arm to escort her to the altar. Before leaving, she took one last deep breath to prepare herself for the next stage. She relaxed when Sherman patted her hand and gave her a small kiss on the forehead as they walked together, arm-in-arm. 

 

_ So that’s what it feels like to have a father _ she thought as she smiled to herself.

In the vineyard, the rose-tinted sky and the lush green mountains couldn’t have looked better if they had been painted by an artist for the occasion. To Carmilla, it was as if the gods themselves had prepared this scene to ensure that this day was going to be one that she’d never forget. Especially when she was going to marry the most wonderful woman she had ever met. 

 

“Oh God, you’re such a mushy sap,” she muttered to herself. 

"Could you keep your leg still? You’re making me nervous," exclaimed Laf in exasperation. "Besides, it’s not as if Laura is a reluctant bride," they continued with a smirk.

"That’s not what worries me," replied Carmilla whose fiddling got worse.

"I told you that we have everything under control! Okay? Look at me, Carmilla. The only thing that you have to focus today is on Laura," said LAF, reassuringly. 

Carmilla noticed that for once there was no mockery in LAF’s expression, but only a sincere smile.   _ A true friend _ thought Carmilla before smiling back. 

"Not that you’ll have any problems focussing on Laura anyway.”

“I should have known it was too good to last,” grumbled Carmilla, but her smile only got bigger.

"Oh, my goodness, Carmilla!" 

They turned to see Lilith approaching with tears in her eyes. She took Carmilla’s face in her hands and stared at her adoringly.

"Gran, is everything alright?" Carmilla was worried because Lilith seemed very agitated. She offered her a seat, but the old woman just dismissed it with a wave of her hand. Her admiration for Lilith only increased; despite all the blows life had dealt her, she was a strong, courageous woman, worthy of worship.  _ Is this how it feels to have a grandmother _ she wondered. 

"Everything is wonderful, my dear. We’re just waiting for the judge to arrive so we can begin," replied Lilith, stroking Carmilla’s cheeks. "But look at you, you look really beautiful in that suit. Laura is going to be drooling over you at the altar! Not that she needs to see you in this suit to do that," she continued. ‘Or with clothes at all,” she stage-whispered with a wicked smile. 

“Gran!” replied a mortified Carmilla. Her face felt like it was burning after that last comment and LAF’s helpless laughter wasn’t helping either.

"I'm terribly sorry for being late; there was a delay in the mayor's office, but I'm here now,” said a familiar voice, interrupting the embarrassing moment. 

Carmilla was relieved for a moment until she turned around and spotted a man dressed in a brown tweed suit and red bow tie.

"What the frilly hell?" she muttered. 

"Ah! You must be Miss Karnstein," he said with a strange French-sounding accent. 

"Must I be?" she said, frowning and looking to Laf for an explanation. LAF was the picture of innocence. 

"Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jean-Paul Armitage, but you can call me J.P. The mayor regrets that he cannot attend himself to carry out the ceremony," said an assured, confident Bookworm.  Carmilla stared wide-eyed at the normally nervous man who usually stuttered whenever he had to speak to her.

 

"It seems the mayor had not received the paperwork notifying him of my arrival. You know how tiresome all these bureaucratic niceties can be. As it is, I am the new judge with responsibility for the Styrian civil registry, and we can begin the ceremony as soon as you’re ready.” 

"I have the necessary paperwork, your honor,” said a flustered looking woman who had just arrived. 

"Ah, thank you, Miss Perry! Please bring them here," replied J.P. 

Carmilla noted how tired both of them looked. They must have got the first available flight to get to Styria this quickly. When she turned back to LAF, they had an adoring look on their face. 

 

“Turnaround is fair play, LAF,” she whispered with an evil grin on her face. “I hope you realize that you are never going to hear the end of this.”

 

"May I present Lola Perry, my clerk," continued J.P. gesturing towards her. She was wearing a navy blue trouser suit, and her red curls were tamed into a stylish chignon. Carmilla had to admit Dean looked very well, especially as the suit brought out the blue in her eyes. J.P. took the papers from her, pulled out a set of glasses and began to read over them carefully.

"Just call me Perry," she said, extending her hand to Lilith first and then to Carmilla who shook it briefly. She finally offered her hand to Laf who held it a little longer than necessary and immediately volunteered to give her a tour of where the ceremony was going to be held. 

 

"Nervous?" asked Lilith, as soon as the two redheads left.

"Is it that obvious, Gran?" 

“Believe me, my dear, you’re not even half of the ball of nerves that Sherman was when he was marrying Eileen,” replied Lilith as she brushed a speck of dust from Carmilla’s suit. "Not that my daughter was any better, though. I’m sure that Laura is nervous too. After all, this is for the rest of your lives.” 

"Yes, forever," replied Carmilla with a wistful sigh. 

"Excellent!” said J.P, suddenly. “Everything seems to be in order, and I’m ready to begin as soon as you are.”  

"Are you ready?" 

"As ready as I’ll ever be, Gran." 

"Then, let's have a wedding!" 

Carmilla was sure that her hands had never sweated this much in her entire life. It was a relief when Lilith took one of her hands and patted it soothingly, reassuring her without words that all would be well _. This has to be what it feels like to have a grandmother _ , she thought. 

LAF was beside her, still gazing at Perry who was fussing over one of the floral centerpieces. 

Time seemed to stand still when Carmilla turned and saw Laura walking up the red carpet. It had been laid down this morning between the lush green vines of the vineyard and led to the area where the ceremony was to take place. 

Carmilla had never been a fan of those sugary romcom movies that told impossible love stories. Especially not the ones where two lovers see each other, and everything fades away around them as if by magic. Even the people around them seem to freeze and stop breathing because there is nothing else they can concentrate on; they only have eyes for each other. It was all just gross sentimentality in her opinion.

But here she was, staring with utter adoration and love at the girl she was about to marry. Nothing and no one else existed for her. In Carmilla’s eyes, everything about Laura was divine; the way her hair cascaded over her bare shoulders would have made angels weep in envy, and her eyes seemed to glow with devotion and trust when she saw Carmilla waiting for her.

Her vision seemed to blur a little, and she realized she was crying. For the first time in her life, she understood what tears of happiness felt like.

Laura was crying too, but fortunately, she had Sherman's handkerchief to wipe her eyes as she drew nearer. The sight of Carmilla waiting for her was like water in the desert, an oasis after a long journey and to hell with the world if she couldn’t pledge her eternal soul to this woman.

To Lilith, the ceremony was almost as beautiful and pure as the love the two women shared for one other, a nearly perfect representation of their mutual feelings.

J.P.’s words were so moving that anyone present who hadn’t cried already was in tears at the end.  Lilith could not be more pleased as she leaned on Sherman’s arm to see them finally swear to bind their lives together. 

"And now, the brides will recite their vows," said J.P. seriously. 

Carmilla was the first to speak. 

"Laura…"

 

Carmilla had to take a moment to clear her throat, 

 

"Cupcake," she began again, trying not to lose her nerve as Laura’s eyes widened. She saw Lilith hold her hand to her heart and sigh lovingly at them, probably assuming it was part of their vows.

 

"Until the day I met you, all I had ever known in life was disappointment. And although in the beginning, we hated each other," she said with a smile as everyone laughed, "thank you for not giving up on me and for being so patient. Thank you for giving me the time and space I required when I needed it the most and for being there without having to ask.”

 

“Thank you for taking my hand when I least expected it and above all, thank you for the smile that brightens up my darkest day. I live for that smile,” she said as another tear rolled down her cheek. "With you, I have found what love truly means. That is why I will always be thankful, that's why I will never tire and not a single day will pass without me showing exactly what you mean to me. Today is the beginning of the greatest adventure of our lives, and I am so blessed that you chose to share it with me as your wife." 

Laura squeezed Carmilla’s hands fondly before wiping her own tears. 

"Carm…" Laura began. After a brief pause to catch her breath, she started again. “Kitten, life has always given me so many surprises. I can't say they’ve all been good; but in spite of that, I always dreamed of spending my life with someone that would always challenge me every day to be a better person.” 

 

“Sometimes I have felt that the challenge is more than I can bear," she said with a slight giggle. “But I want you to know that every part of you makes me want to be a better person for you, for us. You're the best surprise that Life has given me, and I promise here today that there will never be a day that I don’t show you all the love I feel for you. It doesn't matter where our lives take us or what slip-ups we have along the way. When I’m with you, I know that we’ll overcome anything together and I’m ready to enjoy this new adventure with you as my wife for the rest of our lives.” 

Everyone else remained silent after the vows were spoken and the couple were gazing at each other so intensely that the other people there felt like they were intruding on an incredibly intimate moment.

A moment that was interrupted when someone began a slow hand clap. 

 

All the attendees, including the happy couple, turned to see who had been so crass to break up the tender scene.  

"Bravo! Bravo! Wow! You really are excellent actresses!" said a small, sickly looking blonde girl who was walking up the red carpet towards the gathering. 

 

Nobody said a word; they were frozen in horror at the sight of the gatecrasher.

 

"Who are you?" asked Lilith, who was the first one to gather her wits. 

"Grandmother! The years have been unkind if you don’t even recognize your own granddaughter," the girl said. 

"What is going on?" demanded Lilith, looking from her granddaughters to the new girl. 

"This is another one of my father's attempts to take what rightfully belongs to me. What my mother always intended to be mine. It is one of Sherman Hollis’s elaborate schemes to ruin my life,” she declared, pointing at the man who looked like he was about to faint.

"Laura, can you explain this?" said Lilith, turning to Cupcake. She left Carmilla’s side to comfort the woman, but the blonde girl stepped in front of her and embraced a speechless Lilith.

"She is not Laura, and as for her," she said sneering at Carmilla, “why would I want to marry someone like her? She’s so not my type,” she spat, looking at Carmilla in disgust.

" I don’t know who are you, but I would like to know what you want?" said Sherman weakly, yet with a trace of venom.

 

Even though he knew who she really was, he still rejected the idea as ridiculous. Just because the same blood ran through their veins meant she was his daughter. That woman ceased to exist many years ago. 

"Oh, Father! I had believed you capable of anything after getting me arrested to keep me away from Danielle," she replied with hatred in her voice. “But this elaborate charade to deceive my grandmother? I can’t believe you’d stoop to this!”

"Sherman?” said Lilith, looking sadly at her son-in-law. No, her son. Ever since Eileen had died and Laura had vanished, Sherman Hollis had been her only family. 

 

"Lilith, I…" 

"Grandmother, don't listen to him," said the woman frantically caressing her cheek, a gesture that woman flinched at. "I need you, Grandmother. I need my share of the Hollis estate. My life is in danger, and my father doesn't care. But you do Grandmother, don’t you?” she cooed softly.  “You’re the only one that ever cared about me.” 

Lilith Morgan already had her heart broken many times; the sudden death of her beloved husband, the death of her only daughter in a tragic accident and her one grandchild losing her way and becoming someone she didn’t recognize.  

 

_ This is too much. I can’t bear this, _ she thought.

"Stop right there!" shouted a tall redheaded policewoman hurrying toward the altar. She was followed by an even taller man with a determined, yet puppyish expression

"Janae Bauman, you are under arrest for document forgery, fraud and identity theft!" declared the woman holding up a badge with one hand while pointing a gun at the little blonde with the other.

She let go of Lilith for a moment and then tried to use her as a shield by hiding behind her as she glared at the police officer. But Carmilla intervened by taking Lilith in her arms and carrying her out of harm's way. This allowed the police to grab the blonde and handcuff her.

"Grandmother! Do not listen to anything they say, they are all lies. I missed my original flight, and when I arrived in Styria, the only thing people were talking about was this wedding. I knew my father had to be behind all this and I…" 

"Enough!" shouted Lilith. “MY granddaughter, MY Laura is standing there," she said, looking Cupcake in the eyes. She walked up to the altar and drew her and Carmilla  into a loving hug.

"No, Grandma, I am, I'm Laura, look at me!" she screamed, gesturing to herself. "I am the daughter of your daughter Eileen and that man," she said, despairingly. 

"I only have one daughter called Laura," said Sherman approaching the three women at the altar. "Well, apart from Carmilla who’s like a second daughter to me, but that’s it.

Carmilla couldn’t help rolling her eyes at Sherman. It wasn’t the right time to be sentimental, but she still whispered a thank you to him. 

"You have a lot to answer for, girl,” said the tall redhead. “There are several outstanding warrants for you across the EU. So start walking," she said pushing her in front of her, even as the woman continued to struggle. 

"Uh, sorry everyone. We regret the interruption. Janae Bauman always uses this modus operand," said the other police officer. “I mean operandi,” he said with a blush when Laf corrected him. "Eh! You know what these losers are like; always preying on wealthy families by impersonating a family member and stripping them of their possessions." The man scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as everyone continued to stare at him. "Right then. Well, carry on everyone. Nothing to see here. Eh… we’ll totally take care of it. Congratulations, by the way," he said smiling at the couple while making finger guns at them and winking.

Lilith was still trembling in her granddaughter’s arms.

"Give me a moment, Laura, Gran." 

 

Before Lilith or Laura could answer, Carmilla was walking towards the patrol car where an angry blonde was still screaming. 

The police asked her if she was sure she wanted to talk to her and Carmilla coldly replied she did. 

The blonde glared at her as she approached the window.

"Come to gloat over deceiving an elderly woman? Or to laugh because my family had turned their back on me and chosen you two instead? A couple of vile phonies!" she snarled. 

"None of that. I came to tell you that I'm sorry," replied Carmilla calmly 

"What?" 

"I am sorry that you've never been able to enjoy the unconditional love that those two people had for you. Because believe it or not, your father loved you much more than you can imagine. Both of them loved you so much that they gave you multiple opportunities to turn your life around. But you realized how much they needed you in their lives, how much they wanted you and how they would go through hell itself to help you and keep you happy.”

 

Carmilla turned toward the altar in the distance and saw Sherman embracing Lilith and Laura.  “Those three people you see there have taught me in just a few days what a true family is; it’s people who love, support and protect each other.”

 

The woman sneered at her which made Carmilla’s blood boil. "I’m only going to tell you this once. If you ever dare to return, then you’ll find out exactly what I’m capable off when I choose to defend my family. If you think for one second that you can just wander back into our lives, I’m going to make you wish you’d caught that flight and died. You’ll never know a moment's peace again.” 

"Are you threatening me, you bitch?"  

"That’s not a threat, that’s a promise. Bitch." 

"But all of this belongs to me! They can’t just pretend I don’t exist," she cried. 

"This is all I have, but if it means that you leave here and never come back, then take it," said Carmilla as she pulled out a white envelope from her inside suit pocket. 

 

The same envelope that Vordenberg had given her recently as payment for her time, whether she chose to stay with the team or not.

She thought it was ironic that she hadn’t got to spend a cent of it.  But if it meant protecting the couple that had only shown her and Cupcake love and affection, she’d give it up without a second thought.

The woman was stunned when she saw the amount of money in the envelope and nodded slowly without taking her eye off the banknotes. Carmilla was relieved but also outraged that the woman was prepared to forget all about her family for the sake of money. She dropped the envelope in her lap in disgust and nodded to the tall redhead and giant puppy to take her away. 

 

Not before muttering 'Amazon' and smiling a little when T.A. grinned and whispered 'Vampira' back at her.

When she walked back up the red carpet to re-join her favorite people, she almost bumped into Lilith and Sherman on the way back. 

"Gran…" 

"I need to speak with this criminal," she said with determination. 

 

And as usual, whatever Lilith wanted, Lilith was going to get. Carmilla nodded to Sherman who nodded back nervously. 

When they reached the patrol car, Lilith requested a moment with the girl. They looked at each other hesitantly for a moment and then backed away to give them some privacy. 

"Why did you come here?" demanded Lilith.

The woman inside the car didn’t respond. 

"Look at me, Laura!" 

The use of her name got her attention, and she looked her grandmother in the eye for the first time since abandoning her family for a life of crime and homelessness.

"I need money. I owe a lot to some very bad people, and they’re chasing me across Europe for it.”

"How much?" 

"Millions," she shrugged. 

"Go meet my lawyer Mr. Clark tomorrow. I’ll tell him to expect you first thing in the morning, and I will instruct him to pay over your share of the estate to you," said Lilith coldly.

The blond looked with admiration at Lilith. 

"But after that, I want you gone from here. I never want to see you again. I don't want you coming back to me, or to your father, nor to that couple who never looked for anything from me except that I be happy for a few short days. I don't want to know anything about you, I don’t care what happens to you when you leave here. You will never get another chance to cause me pain again. You are dead to me."

 

Lilith snarled in disgust when she saw her holding the white envelope. "If you came here to get ‘what belongs to you’ then you’ve got it. But this is not yours,” she said, snatching it from her grasp. "If I couldn't save you or protect you as you felt entitled to, then I will do everything I can to protect my two granddaughters," she said with tears in her eyes before turning her back on the woman. 

The woman nodded even though Lilith was no longer looking at her.

 

"Thank you, Grandmother," she said before Lilith had taken more than a few steps. 

"You are not my granddaughter. You’re a stranger who’s trespassing on this estate," declared Lilith.

The officers said goodbye to the couple before driving away. 

"You knew all along?" said Sherman quietly as they walked back towards the altar.

"I suspected it," replied Lilith in the same tone. 

"Will you tell them?" 

"Never!" said Lilith, sounding horrified. "They are my granddaughters and must never know. Not for any reason." 

"And if she decides to come back?" 

"She won’t. I've given her enough money so that she can sort out her life somewhere else, far away from here. " 

"Lilith! But how?" 

"The money from the new investors is all hers. We will find a way to recover Sherman, we always have," she replied, patting his forearm fondly and almost dragging him along with her to the altar. When Lilith Morgan says something is done, that’s the end of the matter. No further discussion.

After everyone had recovered from their fright, the ceremony continued and when Laura and Carmilla both said, ‘I do,’ everyone present applauded, cheered and shed a tear or two.

 

Lilith’s tears were tinged with a pain that she swore she’d keep to herself as long as she lived. 

A few hours later, she was standing at the entrance of the house with Sherman, the same place where she had welcomed the loving couple who had given her such peace and happiness over the last few days. 

"Don't forget to write to me," Lilith said, unable to hide the sadness in her voice. 

"Never, Grandma," replied Laura who was already in tears and hugging Lilith as if she couldn’t bear to leave her. 

Carmilla was exchanging a few words with Sherman, some of which Lilith could overhear such as  _ I hope to hear from you soon _ and  _ I need grandchildren _ . Laura obviously heard them too and reluctantly let go of Lilith to walk over and scold Sherman.

Carmilla came over to her, looking sheepish and a little concerned.

"Don’t just stand there, Granddaughter. Are you going to give me a hug or not?" 

"Grandma!" sobbed Carmilla, before embracing her and resting her cheek on her shoulder like a helpless child.

"Now, now, this is only farewell, not goodbye. You’re making me worried that I’m going to die and never see you again," she said tenderly as she stroked her hair.

"Grandma, don't say that. Of course, you’ll see us again. We'll be back before you know it." 

"I know, dear. I know," replied Lilith, sounding uncertain. "But all I want now is that you’ll promise to love and take care of your little Cupcake and that you always remember that we’re your family.”

"I will never forget it, Gran," said Carmilla with complete sincerity before hugging her again. 

All of them said farewell one last time, and Lilith waited on the porch with Sherman for a few more minutes until the car had disappeared from sight. 

"We'll see them again," said Sherman, not knowing if he said it to comfort her or himself.

"I’m not counting on it," replied Lilith.

"So why not tell them?" asked Sherman.

"And hurt the only people who have given the pair of us more happiness than we’ve had in years? No, Sherman. As the saying goes, you will not see me fall. Dead on the inside, but standing tall, like a tree." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not kill me, I didn't want to end this on a sad note so I will have an epilogue to this story for next friday.
> 
> Again, many thanks, Creampuffs. 
> 
> P.S. Lilith’s last words ‘You will not see me fall. Dead on the inside, but standing tall, like a tree,’ is an original quote from the play and I think it shows Lilith’s strength of character very well. Although this was a loose adaptation, I wanted to use this quote because it’s my favorite one from it. =))
> 
> See you around Creampuffs!
> 
>  
> 
> Happy Holidays!


	16. The Rest of Their Lives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Looking for someone else" asked Laura with mock innocence. 
> 
> "Hhhm-umm. But, I can't complain about who I found", replied Carmilla, hugging Laura  
> around the waist and causing her to shriek with laughter when she felt Carmilla’s cold  
> fingertips tickle her skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knoooow! Sorry for the delay crazy days and all that. I want to thank each of you who had read and give this story an opportunity. Thank you for your comments and for every kind word you always had to my messy writes. 
> 
> Thanks once again to my dear beta Niall, he's the best and honestly, I couldn't do this without him! 
> 
> Here's the epilogue and Happy New Year, Creampuffs!!!!!
> 
>  
> 
> PS. Sorry for any typos, I'm a terrible author and Niall couldn't give a second look at this. So any error is totally my fault!.
> 
>  
> 
> xoxo
> 
> Mckie

 

 

  
_"Ten."_  
  
The coldness of the mud beneath the soles of her feet was one of the greatest pleasures of the rainy season.  
  
_"Nine."_  
  
The smell of damp earth all around filled her senses, letting her know that it was almost time to harvest the grapes. Her favourite time of year.  
  
_"Eight."_  
  
The sound every little drop of water made as it hit the ground was another favourite.  
  
_"Seven."_  
  
The warmth she felt inside contrasted with the freshness of the atmosphere and gave her goosebumps.  
  
_"Six."_  
  
The little bit of light that she could see through her closed eyelids reminded her that after every storm, no matter how much time it took, the sun always came out to cover these hills like a warm blanket.  
  
_"Five."_  
  
The dampness of the vine leaves between her hands always made her think about of how they blossom and grow, of how somehow life still found a way.  
  
_"Four."_  
  
The cold air that travelled over her skin whispered that this was her home now. This was her life. This was real.  
  
_"Three!"_  
  
A mixture of sweetness and acidity in the air made her smile unconsciously. She knew so much about the vineyard now.  
  
_"Two!"_  
  
The outbreak a small chuckle nearby was music to her ears, an excerpt from the purest symphony she had ever heard.  
  
_"One!"_  
  
The bright light of the sunset dazzled her when she opened her eyes, and it took her a moment for her to adjust to it.  
  
"Ready or not, here I come!" declared Carmilla.  
  
She walked carefully, almost like a cat stalking their unwary prey. Taking slow steps to remain stable on the muddy ground and avoid falling, she moved gracefully through the vines. A movement in the corner of her right eye caught her attention, and she turned immediately to find someone colliding with her.  
  
"Hey, Carm!"  
  
"Hey!"

Carmilla had given up trying not to smile whenever she had Laura in her arms. Smiles that were for Laura and no one else.  
  
"Looking for someone else?" asked Laura with mock innocence.

"Hhhm-umm. But, I can't complain about who I found," replied Carmilla, hugging Laura around the waist and causing her to shriek with laughter when she felt Carmilla’s cold fingertips tickle her skin.

"Ah! So, I'm a good consolation prize," Laura teased as she embraced her around the neck.  
  
"The best of all, Cupcake," she replied before kissing her wife on the lips.  
  
Wife. After so many years, Carmilla still couldn’t stop thinking about how good it felt to say that. Her wife. And it always filled her with pride to say she was Laura’s wife.  
  
What started off as an innocent little kiss, rapidly became something more heated as both continued to hold each other tightly. Neither was slow or shy to communicate what they meant to each other and neither passed up an opportunity to do so. No exceptions.  
  
"Yuuuuuuuuk!" exclaimed a child’s voice.  
  
Carmilla didn’t release Laura but stopped the kiss with a sigh and rested her forehead against Laura’s. Laura did the same with closed eyes and a huge smile, the one that gave life to her wife every time she saw it.  
  
"Oh! You also want kisses, kiddo," said Carmilla, letting go of Laura and lifting up a girl with a long brown hair that was standing next to them. The girl squealed in delight as her mother peppered her face with kisses.  
  
Mother. For Carmilla, that was a new and unfamiliar concept. It was nothing to do with the contempt she felt for her own birth-mother. Learning how to be one took a while and yet at the same time, it felt so natural from the moment she held that little girl in her arms. To have a notion of what being a mother entailed evoked a multitude of feelings in her, feelings that were impossible to put into words.  
  
Laura looked in wonder at the two women who have given her so much happiness in life and couldn’t help but laugh at the antics of her wife with her daughter. Carmilla could be so aloof with others, going through life with a self-assured and intimidating air, no matter who she met. But around her wife and daughter, she felt free to be vulnerable and display the kind, caring and above all, the soft side that she kept hidden from everyone else.  
  
_Laura hadn’t been this nervous since her wedding day. But without underestimating that occasion, the decision she had arrived at had a special meaning. She had walked in circles around the room for more than half an hour already waiting for her wife to come back from one of her trips._  
  
_She knew how exhausted that Carmilla would be, but Laura couldn’t wait any longer. She couldn’t continue to keep this a secret; she needed to tell her wife and just hope and pray that she would understand and agree to it eventually._  
  
_Carmilla had just got home and taken off her coat when Laura blurted it out._

  
  
_"I want to have children."_  
  
_She couldn’t hold it in for a second longer._  
  
_When Carmilla heard her, she dropped her coat in shock, and stood there, slack-jawed, staring at Laura._  
  
_"I know, I know. It’s sudden, and we’ve never have talked about before, and I know that it is a life-changing decision. But I also know that we can do it, I want to do it, and I want you to be with me all the way so that we can make it a reality. Together."_  
  
_Carmilla looked at her anxious wife as she stared at a spot on the carpet, and her surprise became understanding. In the blink of an eye, she was standing in front of Laura and had taken her hands in hers. After a gentle squeeze to get her attention, Laura looked up from the floor into her wife’s eyes. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and Carmilla’s heart broke a little. She never wanted Laura to cry unless they were tears of joy._  
  
_"I would not want to do this with anyone else, Laura," she said with a smile before kissing her._  
  
_Laura kissed her wife eagerly in response, and the tears that did escape were ones of joy. From both of them._

  
  
When the girl pleaded for mercy between giggles, Carmilla stopped before placing her carefully on the ground.  
  
"I won! I found you, and I’m the champion!" crowed Carmilla raising her arms in the air in victory.

Yes, there’s my dorky wife, thought Laura and her smile got bigger.  
  
"It's not fair! You only found me because you took ages and I came to see why," replied the girl making the biggest pout ever as she crossed her arms and stamped her foot. Carmilla had seen this same gesture from Laura whenever she tried to deny her something. She usually gave in after a few moments anyway, quicker if she had to deal with both.  
  
She let out a fond sigh as she realized she had lost again.  
  
"Fine then, we’ll do one more round," said Carmilla, kneeling so that she could look the girl in the eye. Of course, that put a smile on her face again, and she hugged her mother. And yes, Carmilla knew she’d do anything to keep sadness away from the women in her life.  
  
Laura also knew it.  
  
The sound of the dinner bell attracted their attention, and the little girl leapt from her arms to race back towards the house. Not however before shouting “Race You!” to her mothers.  
  
Carmilla watched apprehensively as the girl ran off and Laura squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. It wasn’t the first time that she was afraid of their daughter being hurt, especially as she had Laura’s tendency to bump into everything or trip over fresh air.  
  
"Looks like it’s dinnertime," said Laura.  
  
Once she saw that their daughter had made it safely to the house, she sighed in relief and drew Laura in for another kiss. It was something she never got tired of doing.  
  
"We could have dessert first," suggested Carmilla with her usual seduction eyes and once again, Laura felt her knees weaken. After all these years, Carmilla still made her feel special and loved. Even a smile from her wife always made Laura feel butterflies in her stomach.  
  
"Mmm. I have a better idea for that, but after dinner," replied Laura as she broke the kiss.  
  
Even though she didn’t want to be separated from her wife, Carmilla released her slowly before responding.  
  
"Go ahead. I still need to find my boots, and then I'll join you at home."  
  
As soon as Laura turned to walk toward the house, Carmilla took the opportunity to give her a playful pat on the ass, making Laura squeak in surprise.  
  
"Don’t be too long," Laura replied, before giving her a saucy wink.  
  
Never, thought Carmilla, watching her walk away with a little extra sway to her hips that she was confident Laura did to tease and bewitch her.

It worked every time.  
  
Carmilla wiped her hands on her worn jeans and walked over to the tree at the top of the vineyard where she had left her old lucky boots. Boots that she only wore when she was at home.  
  
Home. Carmilla never thought that one day she’d call anywhere home. Not just in name, but that it would also be something that represented exactly what a home should be. But she knew that it had more to do with the people around her than a roof over her head.  
  
She knew when she saw Laura in the distance as she carried their daughter in her arms. After she put her boots on, she rested against the tree trunk for a moment to savour the sight.

  
  
_This time, it was Carmilla who couldn’t contain her anxiety and whose leg refused to remain still. Laura was the one on this occasion who squeezed her knee reassuringly and helped her relax._  
  
_After talking it through, both women decided that adoption was the best option. Even though the thought of a junior Laura or Carmilla running around was attractive, they wanted to give an opportunity to a child that deserved nothing less than a life of being loved and cherished. Both agreed that family wasn’t only who you were related to, but the affection and protection that these people shared._  
  
_"Laura, Carmilla; please come in," said_ Ms. _Ouaknine. She had taken over from_ Ms. _Jordan at the orphanage where Laura grew up._  
  
_"_ Mr. _Vordenberg has filled me in on everything,” she said as she led them down the hall. “So, I can assure you that the paperwork will be no problem. It has been a real blessing that you submitted a request this week. Just a few weeks ago, we took in an eight-month-old infant. The police found her abandoned in an apartment after neighbours called the emergency services when they heard her crying. Apparently, she had been there for days, without food or company. There is no trace of her parents and no record of her birth. It seems that she was actually born in the house.”_

_She opened the door to a small room, and Carmilla knew it immediately. The tiny brunette child leaning on the white bars of the cot, babbling eagerly when she saw her and Laura, was their daughter. The little tender gasp Laura let out was final proof. She knew it too._

 

  
Four years had passed since she came into their lives, and neither of them regretted their decision for a second.  
  
"It’s hard to watch them grow up, isn’t it?"  
  
Carmilla jumped a little when she heard Sherman’s voice beside her. With a smile, she nodded as she regarded the loves of her life.  
  
"You think it’s hard now? Wait until she starts dating," joked Sherman giving her a small shoulder bump.  
  
Carmilla couldn’t help groaning which just made Sherman laugh heartily.  
  
"Trust me, that was my reaction too. But that's what we old people are here for; to ensure the young don’t make our mistakes. Love and protect that girl without pushing her away from you."  
  
The sadness in Sherman’s voice reminded Carmilla of the history that they shared together. Seeing her frown in response, he continued hastily.  
"Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change Laura or you for anything in the world," he said embracing her and pressing a small kiss on the side of her head. "Perhaps I have lost a daughter, but life gave me two more in exchange. And I would do it all over again if I had to."  
  
Sherman kept his arm on her shoulder as they walked back to the house. Halfway there, Carmilla stopped and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Come on, let's go. We don’t want to keep the family waiting," said Sherman as he patted her on the back. Although I am sure that we’re going to be scolded anyway,” he said with a rueful laugh.  
  
Sherman Hollis was a very wise man, and one of the most important things he had learned in life was never, ever be late for dinner. As predicted, they were greeted with a scolding.  
  
"It's about time! Where were you? The food is getting cold. Sit down now!"  
  
Also amongst the wealth of wisdom that Sherman Hollis had picked up over the years, was to never question Lilith Morgan’s instructions.

  
  
_Vordenberg was sitting in his usual chair on the porch when the couple's van finally arrived home and parked in the driveway._  
  
Cupcake _was the first to get out, and she ran to hug him. A hug he gladly returned._  
  
_"There, there, Cupcake. Everything’s all right," he said when he felt her tears on his shoulder. Vordenberg knew from experience how difficult some of the missions were for her. That was why he always waited personally to meet her on her return and instructed Dean to bake her favourite treats to comfort her._  
  
_An exhausted Cupcake was picked up and carried upstairs to her room by Zeta to rest. Although Kitten didn’t like it, she knew it was the best thing for her and that she needed a few hours break after the mental stress of the last few days._  
  
_"Do you think they’ll be okay?" asked Kitten as she took the seat beside Vordenberg._  
  
_"Thanks to both of you, they will live their lives in peace and tranquillity now. So, yes."_  
  
_Vordenberg looked at the sky with such serenity that she wanted to yell at him for it._  
  
_"Is it always this difficult?"_  
  
_"It is always difficult to leave behind someone you love, especially if they become your family."_  
  
_Kitten didn’t know what else to say. Maybe in recent days, she had felt the love of a family. It was a whole new experience, but they weren’t her family._  
  
_"They’re not…"_  
  
_"It's my turn to ask," said Vordenberg, "Did it feel good?"_  
  
_"To help others? I guess," she replied, shrugging her shoulders as if she didn’t care one way or the other._  
  
_"No. To have someone that you cared about so much that you never wanted to leave their side."_  
  
_"We did the job_ Mr. _Hollis hired us to do."_  
  
_"You know very well that’s not who I’m talking about."_  
  
_Of course, she did. He was referring to Cupcake._  
  
_"I don't know where this is going to lead us," she mumbled as she stared at the ground._

 _"I do," said Vordenberg with a smile on his lips. "To your true destiny, to where you really belong. Back to the family that you’ve earned."_  
  
_"She’s not Laura, and I’m not Carmilla."_  
  
_"Is the name so important to you?" he replied, looking at her for the first time. "Would you love Cupcake more if her real name was Laura? Do you think she would love you more if your name actually was Carmilla?"_  
  
_She couldn’t answer either of those questions._  
  
_"You fell in love her for who she is, she fell in love with you for who you are. But Lilith and Sherman love you too for the joy you brought into their lives. A mere name does not dictate whether you are worthy of the love that others show you."_  
  
_Vordenberg’s words finally hit home. No, the names didn’t matter._  
  
_"So, I think you already have your answer, Kitten, or better yet, Carmilla. They will be okay because both of you will be there for them."_

 

  
  
Carmilla took the seat next to Laura while the dishes were being laid out on the table.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Hey!" responded Laura with a giggle taking Carmilla’s face between her hands to give her a small kiss of welcome.  
  
"Oh, for God’s sake! You saw each other five minutes ago," groaned LAF who was sitting in front of them.  
  
Carmilla kept kissing Laura while checking that her daughter was still distracted at the other end of the kitchen before flipping them off.  
  
"Classy as ever," grumbled LAF.  
  
"What did I miss?" asked Danny, still in her police uniform while her partner, in work and life, walked in behind her looking like an adorable puppy as usual.  
  
"Nothing new, just Laura and Carmilla sucking face again."  
  
"Oh, God! Can you not at least wait until we all finish eating?" she groaned, as she placed a bowl of mashed potato in the centre of the table. “No, don’t. I think that would be worse."  
  
"Ah, of course! As if you and the puppy behave any better, Xena," replied Carmilla with a smirk as she watched T.A.’s cheeks go bright red.  
  
"Oh, oh, oh. She’s not wrong, D-bear!" he replied, getting a laugh from everyone at the table.

"Enough talking, everyone. Lilith and I worked hard in the kitchen to make sure dinner wasn’t ruined," said Perry, clapping her hands to bring some order back to the table. She looked at LAF and nodded.

LAF rose from their seat to hit a glass with a spoon to attract everyone’s attention.  
  
"Before we begin, we want to share something; I will be brief because I know we’re all hungry." They took Perry’s left hand to kiss it before displaying it to everyone around the table.

"She said yes!"  
  
Everyone immediately burst into applause and shouts of excitement. Laura rose immediately to congratulate the couple and Sherman were the first to raise his cup to invite everyone to join him in a toast to the couple’s future happiness.

 

  
  
_"You know something, Kitten? I'm going to miss all of them?"_

 _They were lying together on Kitten’s bed, Cupcake resting her head the other girl’s chest while Kitten ran her fingers through her hair._  
  
_"I know, sweetheart. But we will come to visit them, and Vordenberg says that there will still be missions that we can take part in," replied Carmilla giving her a small kiss on the forehead._  
  
_"It's just that they have always been my family."_  
  
_"And always will be Cupcake," replied Kitten, kissing her on the lips this time. The kiss rapidly became more passionate, and their hands began exploring each other’s bodies, desperately pulling at each other’s clothing._  
  
_"We're ready, lovebirds… Oh God, my eyes!! My poor eyes!!”_

 _LAF opened the door so quickly that Cupcake ended up hitting Kitten when she tried to remove her hand from Kitten’s leather pants. As for LAF, they were frantically trying to cover their eyes._  
  
_"Well that and more you deserve," Carmilla grumped, rubbing the underside of her jaw where it was safe to say there was going to be a large bruise. "I thought that after so many times now you'd learned to knock, Gingersnap" she continued, rolling her eyes fondly when she saw Laura blushing._  
  
_"Five minutes, downstairs, everything is ready," said LAF with a squeak and their hands still covering their face. As they left the room, they collided with the doorframe but kept going._  
  
_"Uh, we better get downstairs immediately. I can only imagine what LAF is telling the others,” said Cupcake, climbing off the bed._  
  
_"But they said five minutes," said Kitten with a pout. She grabbed the girl by the hand, and with a swift movement, Cupcake was lying on the bed again with Kitten sitting on her and holding her hands above her head._  
  
_Cupcake felt herself melting into those seductive eyes, and they slowly began to kiss again._  
  
_"Hurry up in there!" roared T.A. from outside the bedroom door. She knocked on the door with such force that Cupcake threw Kitten off in fright._  
  
_"Ugh! I swear to God I hate them so much," mumbled Carmilla while looking at the ceiling from her position on the hard floor._

 _But she didn’t mean a word of it._  
  
_Both women went downstairs and headed outside holding hands. There was a large removal truck in the front garden._  
  
_"What’s that for?" asked Kitten, raising an eyebrow when she saw it._  
  
_"For the move, Bros," replied Zeta, passing them with a box full of sports equipment and pennants._  
  
_"Do we really need a truck that big?" replied Laura, who was also puzzled._  
  
_"Because everything won’t fit in the van," said Dean, walking by with a large cardboard box full of baking trays. Laf offered to help, to which Dean smiled sweetly and said, ‘Thank you, Dear.” This caused LAF to blush and almost trip over their own feet._  
  
_The gesture didn't go unnoticed by the other couple, but Cupcake decided she’d check it out later. Kitten just smiled at all the teasing she was going to inflict on LAF for the rest of their life. But she was more curious for the moment as to why they had such a huge removal truck parked in the driveway._  
  
_"What do you mean by 'everything’?" insisted Carmilla._  
  
_"Oh, Miss Carmilla, you didn’t think you were leaving here without us?" said Bookworm, passing a box of books to T.A. who took it as if it were fragile and liable to fall apart any moment. “Oh, you did think that!" he said, frowning._  
  
_"Oh, no! No, no, no, no. There is no way that Lilith and Sherman will accept all of you living with us," she replied, glaring at him so fiercely that he staggered a few steps back._  
  
_"They won’t be living with you," said Vordenberg, from behind the couple._  
  
_"But the house…" began Laura._  
  
_"This house is merely bricks and mortar, Cupcake. What makes us a team has nothing to do with where we live, but what we can do together. So, if everyone’s ready, it is time for us to leave,” he said, smiling fondly at the couple._

 

  
  
"Good! I see that LAF and Perry’s good news has already been announced," said Vordenberg as he entered the room.  
  
"Apologies for our lateness, but you know how difficult it is to finish a conversation with Mr. Colantoni," said J.P.  
  
"Yeah, especially Will’s there on his days off. Right J.P.?” joked LaF waggling their eyebrows comically, making the man blush furiously.  
  
"LaFontaine, Perry. My heartfelt congratulations!" exclaimed Vordenberg, deflecting attention from the poor man and opening his arms to the couple to embrace them.  
  
"Well, good! Welcome one and all,” said Lilith. “Everyone sit down now before dinner gets any colder," she said firmly and clapping her hands to get everyone's attention.

And everyone did, especially when Lilith used that tone of voice.

  
  
_"Ok, I understand about the house, and I understand that the team living nearby in Styria will help us to continue with our missions. What I don't understand is how Lilith and Sherman are going to take this," said Cupcake, breaking the silence in the van._  
  
_Bookworm was driving as usual, while a smiling Vordenberg sat beside him. The rear seats had the rest of the team._  
  
_"Cupcake, they know only what we tell them," replied Vordenberg looking over his shoulder toward the rear seat. "For Lilith, LAF is still your driver, Dean is now Perry, the personal assistant to Bookworm who is now known as Judge J.P. Armitage; and the couple helping us with our move are the local police Danny Lawrence and Wilson Kirsch. I am a pensioner retiring to his country of birth and looking to invest in a Styrian vineyard."_  
  
_"Uh, that makes a weird sort of sense, actually," replied Carmilla, nodding slowly._

  
  
Once Perry had got everyone to clear the table after dinner, they all retired to the living room.  
  
A pouting Kirsch was losing a game of chess to a smiling Danny.  
  
Lilith and Perry were sharing more recipes, and after so many years one would have thought that both women would have already shared all their secrets, but no.  
  
Sherman and Vordenberg were sitting next to the old turntable, reminiscing over old times and shared anecdotes while J.P marvelled at the record collection and played various vinyl discs that caught his attention.  
  
Laura was sitting with her little girl on her lap, reading the third book of the Harry Potter saga. It was the favourite one in the series for both.

 

  
  
_"Look at her beautiful eyes! It is as if she inherited them from Laura," said a delighted Lilith as she made funny faces to the baby laughing non-stop in the arms of her granddaughter._  
  
_"And the eyebrows! These definitely from Carmilla," said Sherman, shaking a colourful rattle in his hands to attract its attention. She stopped laughing immediately and regarded the rattle curiously. And yes, even at eight months old it seemed to raise an eyebrow just like its mother._  
  
_Carmilla smiled indulgently at the assertions of both, even when they knew that the child didn’t share a single gene with its new mothers._  
  
_"Oh granddaughters, she is so beautiful!" said Lilith as she took the baby from the arms of Laura._  
  
_"Our little…_ uhm _… but we are so in love with her that we haven't even asked her name." exclaimed_ Mr. _Hollis between laughter._  
  
_Laura looked at her wife with that huge smile that meant everything to Carmilla, and she immediately nodded._  
  
_"We have decided to call her Eileen," said Laura a little shyly._

 _Sherman and Lilith looked at her with tears rolling down their cheeks. The old woman looked into the baby’s eyes who was gripping her thumb with both tiny fists._  
  
_"Welcome home, Eileen," she said, before kissing her forehead. "I hope that you’re better behaved than your grandmother," she joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere._  
  
_"But what you are talking about, Lilith Morgan? Her grandmother was an angel," said Sherman taking the girl in his hands. "And you will be too, right?" he continued, shaking the baby slightly._

 _Eileen pouted at the sudden movement and began to cry._  
  
_"Oh, she definitely got that from Laura," sighed Lilith, ruefully._

 

  
  
Carmilla was standing at the terrace door looking at the homely scene. Her entire family was in that room, and her heart was overflowing with happiness.  
  
Family. Carmilla never thought she’d be so blessed to have one. But that’s what they were, people who devoted their lives to turn others sorrow into joy. They had shared so many experiences together, good and bad, but they were always there for each other. They loved and accepted her completely, all her virtues and her vices. Every day she woke up, she thanked the universe for having them in her life.  
  
Even with all the clutter in the room, her gaze was drawn to the two primary sources of so much happiness in her life. Laura and Eileen seemed so involved in reading by the lamp beside them that was almost as if a celestial aura surrounded them. Carmilla agreed with Sherman Hollis that Eileen was an angel, just like her wife. The pair of them were her own personal heaven.  
  
"Do you think the day will ever come stop drooling over Laura?"  
  
Carmilla rolled her eyes. Trust LAF to ruin her musing. But she accepted one of the glasses of wine they offered anyway.  
  
"That will happen when you stop drooling over Curly Sue,” she smirked as she took a sip from her glass.  
  
"Ha! I’ll drink to that,” said LAF, raising their glass in a toast.  
  
“No Eileen, Hufflepuff is better!” said Laura laughing and giggling with their daughter. Carmilla smiled at her faux outrage. Laura had many heated discussions with Eileen ever since the day their daughter identified as a Ravenclaw.  
  
"Even after all these years, your wife is still a nerd," said LAF in amusement.  
  
Carmilla frowned at that. Wife. Yes, Laura was her wife in every way that mattered, heart and soul. But after so many years, there was still a small voice in her head that tried to insist that a single piece of paper did not make a marriage or determine what she felt for Laura, that it would be different if their union was real and not some elaborate charade that had been orchestrated for Lilith.  
  
"What are you thinking about in that crazy little head of yours?" asked LAF when they saw her frowning.  
  
"Ahm. Nothing." Mumbled Carmilla before taking another sip of her drink.  
  
"Oh, come on! I thought that we were at least friends at this stage,” said LAF, bumping their shoulder with their own.  
  
Friends. Although it wasn’t something she’d planned to happen, the whole team had become friends of hers, even though she never stopped calling Danny every nickname she could think of. Clifford remained her favourite.  
  
Carmilla sighed deeply.  
  
"This is probably going to sound stupid," she began. "I love Laura, and I know that in spite of everything, I wouldn’t change anything about our life together. It’s just that there are times when I wish our wedding ceremony hadn’t been a lie. I wish it hadn’t been a piece of paper that we signed just to make Lilith and Sherman happy. I wish it was valid and that Laura was actually my wife."  
  
LAF looked at Carmilla as if she had sprouted another head.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
Carmilla tried to squeeze past them, but Laf blocked their way.  
  
"No, Karnstein, I'm totally serious now. I’m not trying to make you feel bad even though you’re an even bigger sap than I thought you were.”

Carmilla turned her head away in annoyance, but Laf refused to give in. “Really though, Carmilla? I can't believe that you’ve been thinking all this time that your marriage with Laura is invalid.”  
  
"But… you said that you had found a solution to the wedding. I thought J.P. was just posing as a judge at the ceremony," said Carmilla, stunned.  
  
"Carmilla, Carmilla; we had a solution. Under Austrian law, J.P. is a qualified registrar of weddings and a duly-appointed judge. Everything was legal and above board. He wasn’t kidding about those things at the wedding. He has the power to conduct legal and binding marriages. He’s going to marry Perry and me."  
  
Carmilla’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t understand how she hadn’t known that.  
  
"Do you not think that the Styrian people would have noticed at this point that he was a fake judge if that was the case?”  
  
"But Vordenberg has a lot of power, and we are always making up false documentation…"  
  
"No, Carmilla. We stretch some rules and pull some strings, but we have never broken the law. Vordenberg was owed a favour by some very powerful people, and he used it to get J.P. appointed at short notice. But they wouldn’t have done it for him if J.P. wasn’t qualified.”

Laf was visibly annoyed and offended at this point. "I thought that Mr. Vordenberg told you that there was nothing illegal in our actions?"  
  
Carmilla nodded slowly as she remembered her first conversation with the old man. He had been telling the truth after all.  
  
"So, Laura and I…" she whispered.  
  
"Yup. You and Laura have been legally married from that day. Congratulations," said LAF with a genuine smile that for once had no teasing in it.  
  
Carmilla had never felt so relieved in her life. Her marriage was real and always had been. She had been married to Laura for years, and that stupid little voice in her head could finally shut up.  
  
"Wait, how did you think that you and Laura were able to adopt Eileen?" asked a puzzled LAF.  
  
"Uh, Miss Ouaknine said that Vordenberg had been in charge of everything… I thought…"  
  
"Ah yes! J.P. and Mr. Vordenberg sent in your marriage cert and all the necessary paperwork."  
  
Carmilla nodded again. But then something occurred to her.  
  
"One moment, they would have needed our birth certs. Maybe Sherman could have provided Laura’s, but there’s no way they could have traced mine."  
  
"Ah, yes! In this regard, I believe an overworked legal clerk who was looking after the adoption case thought they lost it when they bumped into a certain aggressive tall redhead on the street. When they tried to explain this to their boss, he noticed that one of the sponsors of the adoption was Mr. Vordenberg. He decided to sign off on it anyway as a mark of gratitude to him because he grew up in that same orphanage before being adopted by a loving family."  
  
La took a deep breath and stole Carmilla’s glass to finish their wine after draining theirs.  
  
Carmilla blinked a couple of times trying to absorb everything they’d told her.  
  
"Papers lost… so… nothing illegal has been done. Our marriage and Eileen’s adoption aren’t based on lies."  
  
"Nope," replied LAF. “And if you’ll excuse me, I’m getting us some more wine.”  
  
Carmilla nodded and waited on the terrace. While talking to LAF, she noticed William had arrived and was talking to a shy looking J.P. in the corner.  
  
Danny and Perry were playing a quiet game of poker and judging by her frustrated face, Danny was losing badly.  
  
Kirsch was talking animatedly to Vordenberg and Sherman who all seemed to have firm opinions on who was going to win the Bundesliga. Honestly, Carmilla didn't even know that they had a soccer league in the country, but it was fun to see them every weekend dressed in their team shirts, shouting and cheering at the huge TV screen that Eileen charmed her grandfather into buying so she could enjoy her favourite cartoons. In reality, it was Sherman who spent more looking at it until Lilith would chase him out of the room so that she could relax and look at Netflix. She considered it the greatest thing humanity had ever invented.  
  
A defeated Danny threw her cards on the table while Perry smiled in victory. Danny apologized and excused herself to use the bathroom. When she returned to the room and passed next to the three men talking, Kirsch reached out and pulled her into his lap to give her a kiss on the forehead. It worked to perfection, as she was smiling again when she got up.  
  
LAF took advantage of Danny’s absence to pour another glass of wine for Perry, but she pulled them down to sit beside her and kissed them on the laps.  
  
Lilith was sitting beside Laura whispering, while Eileen was fast asleep in her mother’s arms. The old woman had one of Laura’s hands clasped in her own, and both women had smiles so similar that it was a wonder that there wasn’t the slightest piece of DNA shared between them.  
  
Carmilla smiled too when she saw the three women who had changed her life sharing the same sofa.  
  
Everyone got up to leave after LaFontaine, who had drunk far more wine than they should have, tried singing Laura and Carmilla’s song in atrocious French.  
  
Carmilla helped Laura carry Eileen to bed and changed her into her Ravenclaw pajamas, before retiring to their own room. The very one they first slept in when they arrived at the Hollis estate.  
  
"Ugh, I love our family; but these nights leave me completely exhausted," said Laura, collapsing onto the bed after changing into her own pajamas and washing her teeth.

Having already done the same, Carmilla was trying to finish her book. But she hadn’t read a single word because she was distracted and enraptured as usual by Laura moving around the room, even when she tripped over her slippers. She removed her reading glasses and placed them on the bedside table before closing her book and cuddling up to Laura.  
  
Laura smiled at the gesture and snuggled into her wife’s arms. She pouted a little when Carmilla removed her glasses as she loved seeing her with them on. Carmilla with glasses had become her favourite Carmilla in recent years. Despite having seen her in situations much more sexual and vulnerable, she always found it hot when she wore them. Perhaps it's because they reminded her of all the years they had spent together, all the roads they had travelled together hand in hand and the great love that exists between them and around them. Maybe because it was she never wore them in public, and it made her feel privileged that, even after so many years, she remained the only one to see the real Carmilla in all her vulnerability. Maybe it was because despite having the body of a goddess, the most beautiful thing about her wife was her pure soul.  
  
Carmilla sighed happily when Laura’s caresses moved from PG-13 to something less chaste and innocent.  
  
"Uh, Cupcake, I thought you were exhausted after today," she said with a husky voice.  
  
"Mmm. Never for you, Kitten," replied Laura who was straddling her at this point and placing little kisses on her neck. "You?"  
  
"Never too tired for you, Cupcake," she declared before kissing her hungrily.  
  
Carmilla couldn’t have meant it more if she tried. She was never going to tire of showing Laura how much she loved her, now and for the rest of their lives. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, so I wanted to end this story within this year so I can move on with is next on the inkpot (figuratively of course). 
> 
> I'm now taking a break from Hollstein (Yeah, yeah, I know I'd said this like a thousand times but, now is for real. I'm not abandoning the fandom tho! I do believe Hollstein will live forever. I'm just trying to try other paths, I have a Clexa story I'd been working on for like several months now and will probably be up in a few weeks from now. So if you want to read and give a chance to that too just wait for it. I'm doing this too because I'd been felt stuck with some of my Hollstein stories, and I don't want to write anything that I don't feel proud of and let them down Creampuffs :) But I'll be back soon to Hollstein! That's for sure!!!
> 
> Anyway, let me read what you think about this epilogue and go to my Tumblr mckarnstein and rant and tell me to screw myself for this or anything you want to say :)
> 
> So, thanks again for reading and you're the best Creampuffs!!! See you next time! 
> 
>  
> 
> PS. Happy New Year!

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know... this is kinda confusing right now but I promise it will make sense as soon as you read the next chapters... :)
> 
> Bear with me for now , can you? 
> 
> As usual, see you next friday ;) !


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